fedayee
[ fe-dah-yee ]
/ fɛ dɑˈyi /
Save This Word!
noun, plural fe·da·yeen [fe-dah-yeen]. /fɛ dɑˈyin/.
a member of an Arab commando group operating especially against Israel.
QUIZ
SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?
Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!
Question 1 of 6
Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?
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. 2022
How to use fedayee in a sentence
Some were incursions by genuine infiltrators, called fedayeen, who launched violent attacks against Israelis.
“We were in contact with the fedayeen until their final minutes,” he says, using the term that refers to suicide bombers.
Exclusive: Taliban Boast About Kabul Hotel Attack|Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau|June 29, 2011|DAILY BEAST
British Dictionary definitions for fedayee
fedayee
/ (fəˈdɑːjiː) /
noun plural -yeen (-jiːn)
(sometimes capital) (in Arab states) a commando, esp one fighting against Israel
Word Origin for fedayee
from Arabic fidā'i one who risks his life in a cause, from fidā' redemption
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