noun
rich person; millionaire; magnate
Refers to a person of great wealth, often with a sense of old-fashioned or literary flavor. Can imply inherited wealth or a lavish lifestyle.
彼は江戸の大尽として知られていた。
He was known as a wealthy magnate of Edo.
noun
big spender; debauchee
Emphasizes extravagant spending and a dissolute lifestyle, often associated with the pleasure quarters in historical contexts.
あの大尽は遊郭で財産を使い果たした。
That big spender squandered his fortune in the pleasure quarters.
The term 大尽 is composed of 大 (big, great) and 尽 (exhaust, use up), suggesting someone who exhausts great wealth. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since the Edo period to refer to wealthy merchants and big spenders.