ringleader means A leader of a group of people, especially an unofficial group.
ringleader is pronounced /ˈɹɪŋˌliːdəɹ/.
Etymology
From ring + leader.
noun
- A leader of a group of people, especially an unofficial group.“Once, on a confident whim, I approached the group of popular girls in an attempt to broaden my circle. Their ringleader took one glance at my new Aeropostale T-shirt and whispered to her clones, “Yeah, Aero's definitely out now.””
- A person who starts and leads a disturbance (such as a riot), a conspiracy, or a criminal gang.“The police arrested the ringleaders of the smuggling operation.”