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Added 10 October 2026

sheikh

/ʃeɪk/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sheikh at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The leader of an Arab village, family or small tribe.
An Islamic religious cleric; the master of a Sufi order.
An official title for members of the royal family as well as some prominent families.

Origin

From Arabic شَيْخ (šayḵ, “elder”). Sense 4 (“a romantic lover”) is from the 1921 film The Sheik.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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