Nearby Words

sheikh

[sheek, sheyk] Origin

sheik

[sheek, sheyk]
noun
1.
Also, shaikh, sheikh. (in Islamic countries) the patriarch of a tribe or family; chief: a term of polite address.
2.
Slang. a man held to be masterful and irresistibly charming to women.

Origin:
1570–80; < Arabic shaykh old man

sheik·like, adjective

shake, sheik (see synonym note at shake).
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Sheikh is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
sheikh or sheik (ʃeɪk)
 
n
a.  the head of an Arab tribe, village, etc
 b.  a venerable old man
 c.  a high priest or religious leader, esp a Sufi master
 
[C16: from Arabic shaykh old man]
 
sheik or sheik
 
n
 
[C16: from Arabic shaykh old man]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sheik
"head of an Arab family," also "head of a Muslim religious order," 1577, from Arabic shaykh "chief," lit. "old man," from base of shakha "to grow old." Popularized by "The Sheik," novel in Arabian setting by E.M. Hull (1919), and movie version "The Sheikh," 1921, starring Rudolph Valentino, which gave
EXPAND
it a 1920s sense of "strong, romantic lover."
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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