pontiff
noun/ˈpɒntɪf/
/ˈpɑːntɪf/
(formal)- the Pope (= the leader of the Roman Catholic Church)Topics Religion and festivalsc2Word Originlate 17th cent. (denoting an early Christian bishop): from French pontife, from Latin pontifex, from pons, pont- ‘bridge’ + -fex from facere ‘make’.
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