— stadholderate, stadholdership , n.
/stad"hohl'deuhr/ , n.
1. the chief magistrate of the former republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.
2. (formerly, in the Netherlands) the viceroy or governor of a province.
Also, stadtholder .
[ 1585-95; partial trans. of D stadhouder, equiv. to stad place + houder HOLDER; trans. of ML locum tenens ]