Mo·ham·med (mō-hām'ĭd, -hä'mĭd, mŏŏ-) See Muhammad.
Mu·ham·mad (mŏŏ-hām'ĭd, -hä'mĭd) Arab prophet of Islam. At the age of 40 he began to preach as God's prophet of the true religion. Muhammad established a theocratic state at Medina after 622 and began to convert Arabia to Islam.
[Arabic muḥammad, praised, commendable, passive participle of ḥammada, to praise highly, from ḥamida, to extol; see ḥmd in Semitic roots.]
The Arab founder of Islam, Muhammad is held by Muslims to be the chief prophet of God. He was born in Mecca. Muslims believe that the Koran was dictated to him by an angel sent from God.
1615, Mohammed, from Arabic, lit. "the Praiseworthy," name of the prophet of Islam (c.570-632. The earliest form of his name in Eng. was Mahum (c.1205), originally used confusedly for "an idol." Wyclif has Macamethe (c.1380). Mahomet was common until 19c.