ʿAshuraʾ

[ash-oo-rah]

noun

the tenth of the month of Muharram, an important fast day for Sunni Muslims.

(among Shiʿite Muslims) the anniversary of the martyrdom of Hussein.

Origin of ʿAshuraʾ

From the Arabic word ʿĀshūrāʾ

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ashura

Contemporary Examples of ashura

Although Shias are a minority in Pakistan, the shops along the route were closed that day, a national holiday known as Ashura.
The Perils of Karachi
Steve Inskeep
October 14, 2011
Ashura is also a reminder that the eternal value of justice must be defended regardless of the odds of success.
Could the Mullahs Fall This Time?
Rouzbeh Parsi, Trita Parsi
December 27, 2009
The Revolutionary Guard and the basij are determined to make sure that Muharram and Ashura will not provide that opportunity.
Will Iran Ignite?
Gary Sick
December 16, 2009
He was killed on the tenth of Muharram (Ashura) in the year 680 on the plain of Karbala, in what is now Iraq.
Will Iran Ignite?
Gary Sick
December 16, 2009
This year, Ashura, the culmination of the mourning ceremonies, will fall on December 27.
Will Iran Ignite?
Gary Sick
December 16, 2009

Historical Examples of ashura

It is greater than the day of Ramadan and the day of el-Adha and the day of Ashura.
Studies in Moro History, Law, and Religion
Najeeb M. Saleeby

British Dictionary definitions for ashura

Ashura

noun

Islam a Shiah festival observed on the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar to commemorate the death of the martyr Imam Hussein bin Ali at the Battle of Karbala in 61 ah (680 ad)

Word Origin for Ashura

C21: from Arabic 'Ashūrā

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

Word Origin and History for ashura

Ashura

Islamic fast on the 10th day of Muharram, Arabic Ashura', literally "tenth."