sheikh

Variant of sheik

or sheikh

noun

  1. the chief of an Arab family, tribe, or village
  2. an official in the Muslim religious organization
  3. Origin: after E. M. Hull's novel, The Sheik (1921)

    Slang a masterful man to whom women are irresistibly attracted

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

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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