dervish

[ dur-vish ]

/ ˈdɜr vɪʃ /

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noun

a member of any of various Muslim ascetic orders, as the Sufis, some of which carry on ecstatic observances, such as energetic dancing and whirling or vociferous chanting or shouting.

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Origin of dervish

1575–85; <Turkish <Persian darvīsh poor man, beggar

Words nearby dervish

derris, derro, derry, dertrum, derv, dervish, Derwent, Derwentwater, Derzhavin, des, desacralize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dervish in a sentence

But he was a whirling dervish of energy and could outwork his critics.
From The Square Deal to The New Deal: The Overlapping Political Identities of TR and FDR|John Avlon|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The son is a more polished, if less genuine, character than the whirling-dervish, passionate, and even bombastic icon of a father.
The Humbling Tragedy of Jesse Jackson Jr.|James Warren|November 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Bailey got the job and proceeded to “work like a whirling dervish.”
CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Celebrates 2012 Award Winners|Robin Givhan|November 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
His earthliness places him not among those larger-than-life kind of heroes, but among the humble, quiet ones—a dervish hero.
A Friend’s Tribute to Ambassador Chris Stevens: The Diplomatic Indiana Jones|Roya Hakakian|September 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST

A whisper at Ispahan, 'Kerbogha is of the Ismaelians; he moves disguised as a dervish to seduce the emirs.'
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
The Dervish wore long hair, and was dressed in a garment entirely made up of patches of cloth of various colours.
The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria|Ludwig Salvator
To use force against a dervish would be looked upon as an exceedingly unpropitious affair to the true believer.
War in the Garden of Eden|Kermit Roosevelt
Stern had to take precautions for his safety, adopting native dress and passing as the "Dervish Abdallah."
Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ|Rev. A. Bernstein, B.D.
Dressed as a dervish he passed through all these countries unhurt, but was often in danger.
Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ|Rev. A. Bernstein, B.D.

British Dictionary definitions for dervish

dervish

/ (ˈdɜːvɪʃ) /

noun

a member of any of various Muslim orders of ascetics, some of which (whirling dervishes) are noted for a frenzied, ecstatic, whirling dance

Derived forms of dervish

dervish-like, adjective

Word Origin for dervish

C16: from Turkish: beggar, from Persian darvīsh mendicant monk

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012