napoleon

n. Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous French military leader and emperor who lived about 200 years ago.

n. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), the French military commander and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution.

“History students often study how Napoleon changed the laws of Europe.”

“The strategic innovations introduced by Napoleon during the Italian campaign fundamentally altered the nature of European warfare for the next century.”

n. a sweet dessert made of many thin layers of pastry with cream in between.

n. A rectangular pastry consisting of several layers of puff pastry alternating with cream or jam, often topped with icing.

“We shared a delicious Napoleon for dessert at the French bakery.”

“The chef prepared a traditional Napoleon, ensuring the puff pastry remained crisp despite the rich vanilla custard filling.”

American English

n. a person who is very successful or powerful in their job, especially if they are very ambitious or tough.

n. A person who resembles Napoleon Bonaparte in their ability to dominate a specific field, often through a combination of skill and ruthlessness.

“The new CEO is a real Napoleon who wants to control every small detail.”

“He was considered the Napoleon of the local tech industry, having systematically dismantled his competitors through aggressive acquisitions and legal maneuvers.”

Informal

n. a simple card game for five people that was popular in the 1800s.

n. A five-card trick-taking game simplified from euchre, popular in the 19th century.

“The old book described how to play a game of Napoleon during long winter nights.”

“In the Victorian era, Napoleon was a common pastime among soldiers, though it has since been largely supplanted by more complex card games.”

Archaic