Barmecide

American  

[bahr-muh-sahyd] / ˈbɑr məˌsaɪd /

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.

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adjective

1. Barmecidal.

Barmecide British  

/ ˈbɑːmɪˌsaɪd /

adjective

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

   a Barmecide feast

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Etymology

Origin of Barmecide

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

Example Sentences

The latter piece, titled “The Barmecide Feast,” is well built — down to the corny Late Empire porcelains employed as backdrop on the luminous white set.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2017

Everything tastes so desiccated and deodorized, the mere shadow of really substantial viands, a veritable feast of Barmecide.

From In Jeopardy by Sutphen, Van Tassel

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

From A Little Girl of Long Ago by Douglas, Amanda Minnie

And so Schacabac lived with the Barmecide many years, and never again knew what it was to be hungry.

From Fifty Famous Stories Retold by Baldwin, James

"Say not a word," said the Barmecide, "but let us get ready for the feast."

From Fifty Famous Stories Retold by Baldwin, James