Mus‧so‧li‧ni, Be‧ni‧to /ˌmʊsəˈliːni, beˈniːtəʊ/
(1883–1945) an Italian leader known as ‘Il Duce’, who established the system of fascism and ruled Italy as a dictator from 1925–43. He fought with Germany in World War II, but because of his armies’ failures, he was forced to give up power in 1943. After the war he was shot and killed by Italian partisans. When people talk about Mussolini now, they sometimes say that although he was evil, he ‘made the trains run on time’, meaning that Italy was very well organized when he was its leader.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲