/ ˈbærənət; NAmE / noun
( abbr. Bart , Bt ) (in Britain) a man who has the lowest rank of honour which can be passed from a father to his son when he dies. Baronets use the title Sir .
—compare knight (2)
For more information see the Cultural Guide
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Anglo-Latin baronettus , from Latin baro , baron- man, warrior. The term originally denoted a gentleman, not a nobleman, summoned by the king to attend parliament; the current order was instituted in the early 17th cent.