Saracen

[ sar-uh-suhn ]

/ ˈsær ə sən /

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noun

History/Historical. a member of any of the nomadic tribes on the Syrian borders of the Roman Empire.

(in later use) an Arab.

a Muslim, especially in the period of the Crusades.

adjective

Also Sar·a·cen·ic

[sar-uh-sen-ik], /ˌsær əˈsɛn ɪk/, Sar·a·cen·i·cal. of or relating to the Saracens.

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Origin of Saracen

before 900; Middle English, Old English <Medieval Latin Saracēnus<Late Greek Sarakēnós

OTHER WORDS FROM Saracen

Sar·a·cen·ism, noun

Words nearby Saracen

Saqqara, SAR, Sara, saraband, sarabande, Saracen, Saragat, Saragossa, Sarah, Sarai, Sarajevo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Saracen in a sentence

The remark “is totally going to lose him the Norman, Druid, Jute and Saracen vote,” one wit commented.
Mitt Romney Using U.K. Visit to Raise Money|Peter Popham|July 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Then their ship made anchor off the old Saracen castle of Castellamare, where now lay the Norman garrison.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
A Saracen physician said he was fearfully smitten, but that life was strong within him, and he would live.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
Only the Emir Iftikhar communed darkly with his own heart, and with certain sworn followers of his in the Saracen guard.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis

Beside him lies a beautiful female Saracen slave, while at his feet a male Saracen comes to surrender his treasure!
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue
The Saracen proverb is verified: "The Christians find here shelter only in the belly of the vultures, the jackals and the lions!"
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue

British Dictionary definitions for Saracen

Saracen

/ (ˈsærəsən) /

noun

history a member of one of the nomadic Arabic tribes, esp of the Syrian desert, that harassed the borders of the Roman Empire in that region

a Muslim, esp one who opposed the crusades
(in later use) any Arab

adjective

of or relating to Arabs of either of these periods, regions, or types

designating, characterizing, or relating to Muslim art or architecture

Derived forms of Saracen

Saracenic (ˌsærəˈsɛnɪk) or Saracenical, adjective

Word Origin for Saracen

C13: from Old French Sarrazin, from Late Latin Saracēnus, from Late Greek Sarakēnos, perhaps from Arabic sharq sunrise, from shāraqa to rise

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