tanist

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tan·ist

 (tăn′ĭst, thô′nĭst)
n.
The heir apparent to an ancient Celtic chief, elected during the chief's lifetime.
[Irish Gaelic tánaiste, second, tanist, from Old Irish tánaise; see sed- in Indo-European roots.]
tan′ist·ry n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tanist

(ˈtænɪst)
n
(Historical Terms) history the heir apparent of a Celtic chieftain chosen by election during the chief's lifetime: usually the worthiest of his kin
[C16: from Irish Gaelic tánaiste, literally: the second person]
ˈtanistry n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

tan•ist

(ˈtæn ɪst, ˈθɔ nɪst)

n.
the heir apparent to an ancient Celtic chief, elected by the tribe during the chief's lifetime.
[1530–40; < Irish tánaiste second, substitute, tanist]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.