sheik
pronunciation
How to pronounce sheik in British English:
UK [ʃi:k]
How to pronounce sheik in American English:
US [ʃik]
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- Noun:
- the leader of an Arab village or family
- a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
Word Origin
- sheik (n.)
- "head of an Arab family," also "head of a Muslim religious order," 1570s, from Arabic shaykh "chief," literally "old man," from base of shakha "to grow old." Popularized by "The Sheik," novel in Arabian setting by E.M. Hull (1919), and the movie version, "The Sheikh," 1921, starring Rudolph Valentino, which gave it a 1920s sense of "strong, romantic lover."
Example
- 1. The crackup was predicted by a top uae sheik in a february meeting with two visiting former u.s. officials .
- 2. His followers treated bin laden with great deference , referring to him as " the sheik , " and hung on his every pronouncement .
- 3. The u. a. e. is working on ' enhancing integration between the federal and local frameworks , ' said sheik mohammed bin rashid al maktoum , who is also prime minister of the u. a. e.
- 4. As of late summer 2009 only a single island has been developed and it belongs to dubai 's ruling sheik ; " the rest looks like a pile of muck " according to a local realtor .
- 5. And islamic groups running the gamut from the banned opposition muslim brotherhood to the sheik of al-azhar , egypt 's highest religious authority , along with pope shenouda iii , came out with strong condemnatory statements and calls for egyptian unity .