Bedouin

American  

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

Or Beduin

noun

Bedouins plural

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

2. a nomad; wanderer.

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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

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Bedouins

2. wandering or roving

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Bedouinism
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• Bedouins
  plural
• Bedouin
  plural

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” + -ī 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

The Syrian authorities said their forces intervened to stop the clashes, but witnesses and monitors accused them of siding with the Bedouin.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Last summer, she tried to bring aid into a southern city populated mostly by Druze after it was torn by deadly violence between Druze, Bedouin and Syrian government forces.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

This year, low rainfall led to slim pickings in the West Bank, including for the tree whose many nicknames include the Elder, the Bedouin Tree and Mother of Olives.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

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

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

Even though Poppy said Bedouin music usually happened after sundown, two young men began slapping quick rhythms and singing for them—the same words and notes repeated over and over.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye