Lord of Misrule

n. pl. Lords of Misrule

One who presided at traditional Christmas revelry in England during the 1400s and 1500s.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lord of Misrule

(Historical Terms) (formerly, in England) a person appointed master of revels at a Christmas celebration

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Lord′ of Misrule′

(in England) a person formerly chosen to direct the Christmas revels and sports.

[1490–1500]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

Lord of Misrule - a person appointed master of revels at a Christmas celebration

emcee, master of ceremonies, host - a person who acts as host at formal occasions (makes an introductory speech and introduces other speakers)

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

There used to be a swarm of these small apparitions in holiday time, and we called them children of the Lord of Misrule. But how gat such a guest into my hall?"

View in context

The King of Christmas was duly crowned, and the Lord of Misrule bore potent sway.

View in context

Hence, the most insignificant person in a community would be temporarily elevated from his lowly status and chosen as the Lord of Misrule.

Fab vocal wren-ditions

As a member of the Middle Temple, the poet John Davies had apparently been mocked so relentlessly throughout the revels that he vengefully struck Richard Martyn, who had been the Lord of Misrule, with a stick "till it broke." He escaped by running to a boat but was ultimately expelled.

Scientific Misrule: Francis Bacon at Gray's Inn

After arriving in Eastgate Street the Emperor Domitian will address his subjects before releasing the Lord of Misrule.

Annual Winter Watch parade lights up streets of Chester; Festive extravaganza once again attracts crowds to city centre streets

Learn more about the 12 days of Christmas, Tudor traditions and meet the Lord of Misrule.

Opening doors to a wealth of heritage at Christmas; There's plenty for everyone to do in the run-up to Christmas - thanks to family-friendly events at the National Trust's properties in Wales

No prosecution on the horizon for the one-time Catholic altar boy turned lord of misrule.

No reason why monster Mugabe should not face war crimes trial

Prez's uncertainty of his place in the world makes him hugely endearing, and Sputnik, a kind of beneficent Lord of Misrule (happy to put a lightsabre into the hands of a five year old or deploy a reverse dynamite grenade to rebuild Hadrian's Wall), is a fantastic character able to fill the page with joy and adventure.

Cottrell Boyce, Frank: Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth

A He has been entertaining us since the 16th century Italian commedia dell'arte based on the Lord of Misrule and based on Pulcinella from Neapolitan puppetry.

Showbiz Sam; The man in the know

English Heritage's jester extraordinaire Peterkin will be the party's Lord of Misrule as he fills the weekend with jolly japes.

Prepare your family to be royally entertained at castle

#After watching the fun, wit and, quite frankly, genius of the late Rik Mayall in the poignant BBC homage Lord of Misrule, I realised how much we have lost a true legend of not just comedy but of life!

RIK WAS A COMIC GEM

RIK MAYALL: LORD OF MISRULE BBC2, 10.05pm When Rik Mayall suddenly died on June 9 this year, pretty much everyone who had ever witnessed him in action was stunned - he had always seemed so very full of life.

TV CHOICE