fellah

[ fel-uh ]

/ ˈfɛl ə /

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noun, plural fel·lahs, Arabic fel·la·hin, fel·la·heen

[fel-uh-heen]. /ˌfɛl əˈhin/.

a native peasant or laborer in Egypt, Syria, etc.

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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?

shall

should

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Origin of fellah

First recorded in 1735–45, fellah is from the Arabic word fallāḥ peasant

Words nearby fellah

Felix IV, Felixstowe, fell, fella, fellable, fellah, fellate, fellated, fellatio, feller, Felling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use fellah in a sentence

I have described one of the poorest of the "fellah" villages, but the traveller is often more luxuriously housed.
Peeps at Many Lands: Egypt|R. Talbot Kelly
Say, young fellah, don't tell me you've been writin' up your impressions in that paper on your knee.
The Poison Belt|Arthur Conan Doyle
Now she heard again the far-away voice of the fellah by the shadûf, warning her surely to go.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
But when the fellah cried out once more in the distance, it seemed to her that she heard a savage triumph in his voice.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

But even then the inexorable hands had closed upon her, and the final cry of the fellah had thrilled with a savage triumph.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for fellah

fellah

/ (ˈfɛlə) /

noun plural fellahs, fellahin or fellaheen (ˌfɛləˈhiːn)

a peasant in Arab countries

Word Origin for fellah

C18: from Arabic, dialect variant of fallāh, from falaha to cultivate

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