dervish
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dervish
1575–85; < Turkish < Persian darvīsh poor man, beggar
Explanation
A dervish is a Muslim monk who is part of an order known for their wild ritualistic movements. A dervish's whirling is part of their religion. A dervish is a Muslim holy man who, like a monk, lives a simple life away from the temptations of the world. The marvelous thing about this form of asceticism (it does involve poverty and chastity) is that dancing, whirling, or howling is also permitted, depending on the kind of dervish you are. Some forms are still practiced in the Sufi sect of Islam. This is the source of the term whirling dervish, which can apply to anyone who spins.
Vocabulary lists containing dervish
Projekt 1065
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Fantastic Mr. Fox
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Skacel, the whirling dervish, in his pomp, skipping past defenders and rifling shots past goalkeepers, the little wonder tearing it up.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
“We’ve been here for less than three years and that’s been a whirling dervish of activity,” Boehly said in March.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2025
It’s a tough job, but Rebecca, an ebullient, wisecracking, fist-bumping whirling dervish, is more than up to the task and Sherman plays the offbeat role to the hilt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2023
During Ultimate, I felt like I was chasing a whirling dervish around the field.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 29, 2023
When I craned my neck to take in the pillars of rock, I spotted a lizard crawling through the crags—the first living creature I had seen since we had escaped the dervish.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
