ayatollah
[ah-yuh-toh-luh]
- (among Shiʿites) a title in the religious hierarchy achieved by scholars who have demonstrated highly advanced knowledge of Islamic law and religion.
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Origin of ayatollah
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for ayatollah
Contemporary Examples
“Ayatollah Khomeini had a stroke in 1986 and became comatose,” says Khalaji.
When the Islamic Republic finally agreed to peace, its leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, likened it to drinking a cup of poison.
But John is sure that he can nurture Ayatollah to bring out the best in him, if only Tzipi and Saeb will do their best for Salaam.
Already in the womb, little Ayatollah is displaying worrisome signs.
It's for the crime of apostasy (in this case, writing a novel) that Ayatollah Khomenei sent death squads for Salman Rushdie.
ayatollah
- one of a class of Iranian Shiite religious leaders
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Word Origin
via Persian from Arabic, from aya sign + Allah god
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 ayatollah
n.
honorific title for an Iranian Shiite religious leader, 1950, from Persian, from Arabic ayatu-llah, literally "miraculous sign of God."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper