sahib

[ sah-ib, -eeb ]

/ ˈsɑ ɪb, -ib /

noun

(in India) sir; master: a term of respect used, especially during the colonial period, when addressing or referring to a European.

(initial capital letter) singular of Ashab.

Nearby words

sahara, saharan, saharanpur, sahel, sahelanthropus tchadensis, sahib, sahitya akademi, sahm, saice, said, saida

Origin of sahib

1690–1700; < Urdu < Arabic ṣāḥib master, literally, friend

Definition for sahib (2 of 2)

Ashab

[ ahs-hahb ]

/ ˈɑs hɑb /

plural noun, singular Sa·hib [sah-ib, -eeb] /ˈsɑ ɪb, -ib/. Islam.

those associating with Muhammad at any time in his life.

Compare Ansar, Muhajirun.

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

Examples from the Web for sahib

The sahib had scarce time to turn, when the knife passed through the fleshy part of his arm.
The Taming of the Jungle|Dr. C. W. Doyle
In any case they know the sahib can rise into the air and stay there.
The Great Airship.|F. S. Brereton
Be it remembered that the Sahib's shirts are correctly enumerated, and that there is an extra piece of soap in his washbasin.
Life's Handicap|Rudyard Kipling
"The Banjara would send in dogs if the sahib would pay him well," he suggested.
The Three Sapphires|W. A. Fraser

At a gateway in a brick wall, his guide dropped to his haunches, saying: "There is but one gate, sahib; I will wait here."
The Three Sapphires|W. A. Fraser

British Dictionary definitions for sahib

sahib

saheb (ˈsɑːhɛb)

/ (ˈsɑːhɪb) /

noun

(in India) a form of address or title placed after a man's name or designation, used as a mark of respect

Word Origin for sahib

C17: from Urdu, from Arabic çāhib, literally: friend

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