Bedouin

American  

[bed-oo-in, bed-win] / ˈbɛd u ɪn, ˈbɛd wɪn /

Or Beduin

noun

plural

Bedouins,

plural

Bedouin

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

2. a nomad; wanderer.

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adjective

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

Bedouin British  

/ 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

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Bedouins

2. wandering or roving

Other Word Forms

• Bedouinism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of Bedouin

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

Example Sentences

Furthermore, "it will displace more than 24 Palestinian Bedouin communities, all of which rely on livestock", he added, and therefore land for grazing.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

The dispute broke out early in the morning in the village of Kheshan between members of a Bedouin tribe, the official said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media.

From Barron's • Nov. 15, 2025

"A new urban world is being built around a Bedouin tribe of nomadic heritage," he added.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

However, the government says it is also "upgrading" Bedouin residential areas.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

The idea that someone should have been feeding them seemed to dawn on the Bedouin raiders all at once.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri