Hamas
[ hah-mahs ]
/ hɑˈmɑs /
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noun
a Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist movement engaged in grass-roots organizing and armed resistance and terrorism against Israel.
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Origin of Hamas
From the Arabic word hamas, literally, zeal
Words nearby Hamas
hamantash, hamartia, hamartiology, hamartoblastoma, hamartoma, Hamas, hamate, hamba, hamba kahle, Hambletonian, hambo
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use Hamas in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for Hamas
Hamas
/ (ˈhæmæs) /
noun
an organization founded in 1987 with the aim of establishing an Islamic state in Palestine
Word Origin for Hamas
C20: Arabic: zeal; also an acronym for haraka muqawama islamia Islamic Armed Movement
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for Hamas
Hamas
A radical Palestinian organization founded in 1987 in opposition to the moderate policies of the Palestine Liberation Organization. In a controversial move, Yasir Arafat has brought members of Hamas into positions of authority within the Palestinian Authority. Hamas sponsors terrorism directed at Israel, especially in the form of suicide bombers in crowded places.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.