sema

¹ American  

[se-mah, say-mah] / sɛˈmɑ, ˈseɪ mɑ /

noun

1. Islam. a ritual in the Sufi tradition, combining the recitation of poetry, chanting of passages from the Quran, music, vocal and instrumental music, and dancing by whirling dervishes.

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sema ² American  

[say-mah] / ˈseɪ mɑ /

noun

1. in Anishinaabe culture, tobacco, viewed as a sacred plant and used in prayer and offerings to the Creator.

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sema ³ American  

[see-muh] / ˈsi mə /

noun

semas plural

1. Linguistics. (in semiotics) a unit of meaning; sememe.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• semas
  plural

Example Sentences

During this period, Turkish dervishes worked to spread the dance outside their country to preserve the pure sema traditions.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2019

When the dancer is finally wearing only his long white robe, he is assumed to be without fault and ready to start the mesmerizing complex whirls that define the sema.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2019

Inspired, other sects started to spread his dance, called the sema, throughout the Ottoman Empire.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2019

“They wanted to preserve the dance in its original form and not just be a tourist attraction,” said Philip Jacobs, who has been whirling for 43 years and still leads twice-monthly sema ceremonies in London.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2019

With much emotion he replied, "Inshullah tukodee jenb il Messiah fe melakoot is sema!"

From The Women of the Arabs by Robinson, Charles S. (Charles Seymour)