Kingpin

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɪŋ.pɪn/

Definitions

1. A person of supreme importance in an organization or criminal enterprise who exerts control over all major operations
2. A central figure who dominates and controls the operations of a criminal network or other illicit organization
3. The most influential leader who orchestrates all significant activities within a clandestine or illegal enterprise

Etymology: The word is built from two plain English parts. "King" is the familiar title of a monarch, and "pin" is the small metal peg, which in older English also referred to a central pin or bolt. The compound joins them in the sense of a central, holding piece that everything else depends on. The image behind the criminal sense is most likely the pin in a set of skittles or ninepins, the central pin that the rest are arranged around. Knocking it out topples the whole structure, and that is roughly how a pivotal figure in an illicit network works: remove the central man and the operation falls apart. The term's use for a crime boss follows that idea of a single central figure holding the rest in place. Because the parts are ordinary English words, the compound needs no borrowing. Its meaning moved from a literal object and an ordinary title toward a figure who sits at the centre of a criminal organization.

Synonyms: leader, head, boss, mastermind, top dog

Antonyms: follower, subordinate, underling, lackey, assistant