mullah

[ muhl-uh, moo l-uh, moo-luh ]

/ ˈmʌl ə, ˈmʊl ə, ˈmu lə /

noun

(in Islamic countries) a title of respect for a person who is learned in, teaches, or expounds the sacred law.

(in Turkey) a provincial judge.

Nearby words

Also mul·la, mollah.

Origin of mullah

1605–15; < Persian or Urdu mullā < Arabic mawlā; see maulvi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mullah

Then, it was the arrest of a popular leader named Mullah Kareem without just cause that provided the spark.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The defense minister of this short-lived republic was Mullah Mustafa Barzani, the Iraqi-born father of Masoud Barzani.
Why Iran Fears Iraq's Kurds|IranWire|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the platoon was leaving the compound, they came across a local: Mullah Adahdad.
‘Kill Team’: The Documentary the Army Doesn’t Want You to See|Andrew Romano|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the third was Mullah Adahdad, 45, an unarmed cleric who was attacked with a grenade and gunned down by several soldiers.
‘Kill Team’: The Documentary the Army Doesn’t Want You to See|Andrew Romano|July 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Mullah Abdul Qayam Zakir was said to be the number two to the vanished Mullah Omar.
Top Taliban Commander Resigns, Revealing Major Rift in the Leadership|Sami Yousafzai|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"They are of the Midgan tribe, which have joined the Mullah almost to a man," said Jim's friend.
In the grip of the Mullah|F. S. Brereton
The mullah stood over the baby and read out of this Koran in a loud, sing-song voice.
Our Little Persian Cousin|E. Cutler Shedd
He made Kim learn whole chapters of the Koran by heart, till he could deliver them with the very roll and cadence of a mullah.
Kim|Rudyard Kipling
He drew from his bosom a letter and handed it to the Mullah, who read it and handed it to our servant.
Thrilling Adventures by Land and Sea|James O. Brayman
On looking up our diary we find that the Mad Mullah is just about due to be killed again.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 159, July 28th, 1920|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mullah

mullah

mulla mollah (ˈmɒlə)

/ (ˈmʌlə, ˈmʊlə) /

noun

(formerly) a Muslim scholar, teacher, or religious leader: also used as a title of respect

Word Origin for mullah

C17: from Turkish molla, Persian and Hindi mulla, from Arabic mawlā master

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

Word Origin and History for mullah

mullah

title given in Muslim lands to one learned in theology and sacred law, 1610s, from Turkish molla, Persian and Urdu mulla, from Arabic mawla "master," from waliya "reigned, governed."