/ prɪns; NAmE / noun
1.
a male member of a royal family who is not king, especially the son or grandson of the king or queen :
the royal princes
the Prince of Wales
2.
the male ruler of a small country or state that has a royal family; a male member of this family, especially the son or grandson of the ruler :
Prince Rainier of Monaco
3.
(in some European countries) a nobleman
4.
prince of / among sth ( literary ) a man who is thought to be one of the best in a particular field :
the prince of comedy
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : via Old French from Latin princeps , princip- first, chief, sovereign, from primus first + capere take.