THE FIRST WORD

doyen

PRONUNCIATION:

(doi-EN, DOI-uhn) 

MEANING:

noun: The senior member of a group, profession, etc.

ETYMOLOGY:

From French doyen (most senior member), from Latin decanus (chief of ten), from decem (ten). Earliest documented use: 1422.

USAGE:

"[The financial sector's] doyens have gained powerful positions in government, although this may be down to the modern assumption that if people are rich they must be smart."
The War on Finance; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 4, 2012.