fedayee

American  

[fe-dah-yee] / fɛ dɑˈyi /

noun

plural

fedayeen

1. a member of an Arab commando group operating especially against Israel.

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fedayee British  

/ fəˈdɑːjiː /

noun

1. (sometimes capital) (in Arab states) a commando, esp one fighting against Israel

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Etymology

Origin of fedayee

1950–55; < dialectal Arabic fidāʾī (plural fidāʾīyīn ) one who sacrifices himself (especially for his country)

Example Sentences

Among those detained are Narges Sadat, a women’s rights defender; civil society activist Fardin Fedayee; author and activist Zekria Asoli and also Afghan-French journalist Mortaza Behboudi.

From Seattle Times

Hasham Fedayee, a tribal elder from Helmand province, also disagrees with Sadat and expects that the rising wave of violence will continue for decades.

From Washington Post

The area, in the province’s Baraki Barak district, is thought to be a stronghold of Taliban insurgents, said Halim Fedayee, the provincial governor.

From Washington Post

“It seems that the coalition made a mistake in coordinating the air raid,” Fedayee said in a telephone interview.

From Washington Post

One fedayee returned to Gaza to tell Egyptian newsmen how his team was surrounded by Israelis after blowing up a power station.

From Time Magazine Archive