fedayee
[fe-dah-yee]
- a member of an Arab commando group operating especially against Israel.
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Origin of fedayee
1950–55; < dialectal Arabic fidāʾī (plural fidāʾīyīn) one who sacrifices himself (especially for his country)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for fedayeen
Contemporary Examples
“We were in contact with the fedayeen until their final minutes,” he says, using the term that refers to suicide bombers.
fedayee
- (sometimes capital) (in Arab states) a commando, esp one fighting against Israel
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Word Origin
from Arabic fidā'i one who risks his life in a cause, from fidā' redemption
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for fedayeen
n.
partisans or irregulars in the Middle East, from Arabic plural of fedai "devotee, zealot, one who risks life for a cause," from Persian fidai.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper