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reign

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in the reign of Queen Dick

dated At no point ever. (Used to show skepticism over an absurd or unbelievable story.) John: "And after a half-hour struggle, I managed to haul in a fish that weighed over 30 pounds!" Charlie: "Sure, John. That happened in the reign of Queen Dick."

See also: dick, of, queen, reign

reign of terror

A period of oppression by a hostile ruler. Sometimes used hyperbolically. The people could only tolerate the dictator's reign of terror for so long before they started a revolution. Is mom finished with her reign of terror, or do we have to keep cleaning the house every weekend?

See also: of, reign, terror

reign supreme

To be the best or most influential thing in a particular area or era. France's fashion houses still reign supreme today. Disco music reigned supreme in the 1970s.

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reign over someone or something

to rule over someone or something. The king reigned over his subjects for over thirty years. The queen reigned over the country for along time.

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a reign of terror

a period of time when a ruler controls people in a violent and cruel way My father's generation, who lived through the reign of terror, will never forget it.

See also: of, reign, terror

reign over

v.

1. To have authority or control over someone or something; rule over someone or something: The same family has reigned over this island for ten generations.

2. To be prevalent or predominant in some place or situation: Chaos reigned over the city during the power outage.

See also: reign