/voy"vohd/ , n.
(in Eastern European history) a local ruler or governor, esp. the semi-independent rulers of Transylvania, Wallachia, or Moldavia before c1700.
Also, vaivode .
[ 1550-60; wojewoda, Russ voevóda, Serbo-Croatian vòj ( e ) voda, OCS vojevoda commander, governor (translating Gk hegemón and strategós ), equiv. to voj- base of voinu warrior + -e- var. (after j ) of -o- -O- + -voda, n. deriv. of voditi to lead; vaivode vajvoda (now vajda ) ]