sheikh
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of sheikh
C16: from Arabic shaykh old man
Explanation
Sheikh is a formal title for an Arabic man. It's common for tribal chiefs, religious leaders, and royal family members to be addressed as sheikh. The Arabic source of sheikh is shaykh, which literally means "old man," from a root meaning "to grow old." It's generally used as an honorific, to address a respected elder such as village leaders and family patriarchs. In Islam and Sufism, sheikhs are religious figures or scholars. A woman in a similar position of power or respect is commonly known as a shaykhah.
Vocabulary lists containing sheikh
Chapter 14: Islamic Civilization
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When the Emperor Was Divine
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The intelligence operation’s manager was asked whether the support came from an individual sheikh or from the Qatari state.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
He hopes to see the mosque, which houses the tomb of a Sufi sheikh, host a traditional music festival when the renovation is complete, "in five months".
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
He had been caught out by the so-called "Fake Sheikh", Mazher Mahmood, who dressed as a sheikh to fool his high-profile targets as part of his tabloid "stings".
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026
Watson said Skydance contacted an Abu Dhabi sheikh — but he was the uncle of their prospective Middle East advisor with a similar name.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2025
With such an opponent as the sheikh he knew he would be called upon to exercise not only promptitude but cunning.
From Across the Cameroons A Story of War and Adventure by Gilson, Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
