2586: tycoon Jan 12, 2022

The word 'tycoon' will for many conjure up images of business magnates or other sort of industrial baron, especially of the 19th century. This is not only a Gilded Age term because that's when it was popular, but reflects a highly specific point in history. The word is from the Japanese 大君 (taikun) meaning 'great lord', which was actually a title for the shogun, a particular type of military dictator. This term was applied by outsiders from 1857 when Japan was opened up and outsiders were allowed to trade merchandise, until 1868 when the shogunate ended.