sheikh

Variant of sheik

sheik definition

sheik or sheikh (s̸hēk; also, for 1 & 2, s̸hāk)

noun

  1. the chief of an Arab family, tribe, or village
  2. an official in the Muslim religious organization

  3. Etymology: after E. M. Hull's novel, The Sheik (1921)

    Slang a masterful man to whom women are irresistibly attracted

Etymology: Ar shaikh, lit., old man < shākha, to grow old

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.