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Barmecide

[ bahr-muh-sahyd ]
/ ˈbɑr məˌsaɪd /

noun

a member of a noble Persian family of Baghdad who, according to a tale in The Arabian Nights' Entertainments, gave a beggar a pretended feast with empty dishes.

adjective

Barmecidal.

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Origin of Barmecide

<Persian Barmekī family name, literally, offspring of Barmek, with -ide-id1 for Persian -ī<Arabic

Words nearby Barmecide

barmaid, barman, barmbrack, barm cake, Barmecidal, Barmecide, Barmen, bar mitzvah, barmy, barn, Barnabas
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Barmecide

British Dictionary definitions for Barmecide

Barmecide

Barmecidal

/ (ˈbɑːmɪˌsaɪd) /

adjective

lavish or plentiful in imagination only; illusory; shama Barmecide feast

Word Origin for Barmecide

C18: from the name of a prince in The Arabian Nights who served empty plates to beggars, alleging that they held sumptuous food
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