From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe man of the housethe man of the housethe most important male member of a family, who is responsible for doing things such as paying bills, making important decisions etc Since my father’s death, my eldest brother has been the man of the house. → man
Examples from the Corpus
the man of the house• But even when the man of the house was around, she was head of the household and determined all our fortunes. 