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Bedouin

American  
[bed-oo-in, bed-win] / ˈbɛd u ɪn, ˈbɛd wɪn /
Or Beduin

noun

Bedouins, plural Bedouin plural
  1. an Arab of the desert, in Asia or Africa; nomadic Arab.

  2. a nomad; wanderer.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Bedouin.

Bedouin British  
/ ˈbɛdʊɪn /

noun

  1. a member of any of the nomadic tribes of Arabs inhabiting the deserts of Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, as well as parts of the Sahara

  2. a wanderer or rover

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to the Bedouins

  2. wandering or roving

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of Bedouin

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Bedoynes (plural), from Old French beduyn (singular), from Arabic badawīn “desert-dwellers,” plural of badawī, equivalent to badw “desert” + a suffix indicating relationship or origin; in the Western languages, the Arabic plural form -īn was interpreted to be part of the basic form

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Clashes erupted last July in southern Syria between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

The dispute broke out early in the morning in the village of Kheshan between members of a Bedouin tribe, the official said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media.

From Barron's • Nov. 15, 2025

It is also home to a traditional Bedouin community, the Jebeleya tribe.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

"A new urban world is being built around a Bedouin tribe of nomadic heritage," he added.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

A Bedouin raider appeared in front of me.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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