Barmecide

[ bahr-muh-sahyd ]

noun

1. 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

1. Barmecidal.

Barmecide

/ ˈbɑːmɪˌsaɪd /

adjective

1. lavish or plentiful in imagination only; illusory; sham

   a Barmecide feast

Word History and Origins

Origin of Barmecide¹

< Persian Barmekī family name, literally, offspring of Barmek, with -ide -id ¹ for Persian -ī < Arabic

Word History and Origins

Origin of Barmecide¹

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

Example Sentences

A sort of Barmecide feast, but I assure you it is very nice with bread or crackers and butter.

From Project Gutenberg

Were the wit and poesy and knowledge the successive desserts, and bright gossip the sparkle of the Barmecide wine?

From Project Gutenberg

For a hungry guest to take this tantalization in good part, was the sure way to win the esteem of the noble Barmecide.

From Project Gutenberg

But if the "call" was a Barmecide call, there was another act open to the congregation which was not so.

From Project Gutenberg

They fed like school-boys home for Thanksgiving, in haste lest the present banquet, too good to be true, prove Barmecide.

From Project Gutenberg