gembong

Indonesian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Javanese ꦒꦺꦩ꧀ꦧꦺꦴꦁ (gémbong, “leader”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛmboŋ/ [ˈɡem.bɔŋ]
• Rhymes: -ɛmboŋ
• Syllabification: gem‧bong

Noun

gembong (plural gembong-gembong)

1. cock of the walk, champion
2. kingpin, leader, leading or top figure, boss, big wheel
3. mastermind

   Synonyms: biang keladi, otak, tokoh

4. tiger with striped fur

Derived terms

• gembong kartel
• gembong mafia
• gembong narkoba
• gembong teroris

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Balinese [Term?].

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ɡəmˈboŋ/ [ɡəmˈboŋ]
• Rhymes: -oŋ
• Syllabification: gem‧bong

Noun

gembong (plural gembong-gembong)

1. piles of wood burned to create flames, used by the king's widows to burn themselves and show their loyalty

Further reading

• “gembong”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016