Sultan

Noun

 * 1) Originally, a secular office, formally subordinate to -, but de facto the power behind the throne of the (theoretically universal) caliph.
 * 2) A hereditary ruler in various Muslim states (sultanate), varying from petty principalities (as in Indonesia and in Yemen), often vassal of a greater ruler, to independent realms, such as Oman, Brunei, or an empire such as the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
 * 3) A variant of solitaire, played with two decks of cards.
 * 4) A breed of chicken originating in Turkey, kept primarily in gardens for ornamental reasons. See:

Derived terms

 * sultana
 * sultanate