Definition of "tinhorn" [tinhorn]

• Slang A petty braggart who pretends to be rich and important. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "If the U.S., France and Britain can't topple a tinhorn despot like Gadhafi who is loathed by most of his own people, the damage to Western credibility will be severe and long-lasting."
• "Any tinhorn dictator can claim (and have) secret intelligence and national security to justify war or oppression."
• "Sam, a self-confessed tinhorn, “expected to find masses of silver lying all about the ground and glittering in the sun on the mountain summits.”"