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Saracen

[ sar-uh-suhn ]
/ ˈsær ə sən /

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for Saracen

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
  1. a Muslim, esp one who opposed the crusades
  2. (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