/ reɪn; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
the period during which a king, queen, emperor , etc. rules :
in / during the reign of Charles II
2.
the period during which sb is in charge of an organization, a team, etc.
■ verb [ v ]
1.
reign (over sb/sth) to rule as king, queen, emperor , etc. :
the reigning monarch
Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901.
Herod reigned over Palestine at that time.
2.
reign (over sb/sth) to be the best or most important in a particular situation or area of skill :
the reigning champion
In the field of classical music, he still reigns supreme .
3.
( literary ) ( of an idea, a feeling or an atmosphere ) to be the most obvious feature of a place or moment :
At last silence reigned (= there was complete silence) .
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French reignier to reign, reigne kingdom, from Latin regnum , related to rex , reg- king.