Roosevelt, The ‧ o ‧ dore /ˈθiːədɔːʳ/ BrE AmE
(1858–1919) a US politician in the Republican Party who was the 26th president of the US from 1901 to 1909. He became famous for his military achievements during the ↑ Spanish-American War of 1898, when he formed and led a group of soldiers called the ‘Rough Riders’ in Cuba. He was a popular president, and is remembered for having a large ↑ moustache and for saying things were ‘bully’ when he liked them. During his period as president, the US organized the building of the Panama Canal, and Roosevelt described US foreign policy using the phrase ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick’. He was informally called Teddy Roosevelt, and the ↑ teddy bear (=a soft toy bear) is named after him.