ayatollah Hear it!

ayatollah definition

aya·tol·lah (ī′yə tō′lə, -tō lä′; ä′yä-)

noun

  1. a leader of the Shiite sect of the Muslim religion, serving as teacher, judge, and administrator
  2. a leader, authority, etc. having much power or influence

Etymology: Ar, lit., sign of God < āyat, sign + Allah, Allah

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

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