Bedouin

Or Bed·u·in

[bed-oo-in, bed-win]

noun

plural

Bedouins ,

plural

Bedouin .

1. an Arab of the desert, in Asia or Africa; nomadic Arab.

2. a nomad; wanderer.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Bedouin.

Bedouin

/ ˈbɛdʊɪn /

noun

1. a member of any of the nomadic tribes of Arabs inhabiting the deserts of Arabia, Jordan, and Syria, as well as parts of the Sahara

2. a wanderer or rover

adjective

1. of or relating to the Bedouins

2. wandering or roving

Other Word Forms

• Bedouinism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bedouin¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Bedoynes (plural), from Old French beduyn (singular), from Arabic badawīn “desert-dwellers,” plural of badawī, equivalent to badw “desert” + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; in the Western languages, the Arabic plural form -īn was interpreted to be part of the basic form

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bedouin¹

C14: from Old French beduin , from Arabic badāwi , plural of badwi , from badw desert

Example Sentences

The violence erupted when Druze militias clashed with Sunni Bedouin tribes, which prompted the government to send its forces to intervene.

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It is also home to a traditional Bedouin community, the Jebeleya tribe.

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Government forces were supposed to quash any fighting between Bedouins and Druze, residents and Saraya’s neighbors say.

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A truce halted the clashes — which began this month between Bedouin clans and the Druze religious minority — but the tallying of the losses continues.

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Both Bedouin and Druze fighters as well as the Syrian army have been accused of killing civilians and extra judicial killings.

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