sheik

[sheek, sheyk]

noun

Also shaikh, sheikh. (in Islamic countries) the patriarch of a tribe or family; chief: a term of polite address.
Slang. a man held to be masterful and irresistibly charming to women.

Origin of sheik

First recorded in 1570–80, sheik is from the Arabic word shaykh old man

Related formssheik·like, adjective

Can be confusedshake sheik (see synonym study at shake)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for sheikh

Contemporary Examples of sheikh

Though he claimed to be a sheikh, he had none of the qualifications.
The Sydney Astrologer Turned Islamic Radical
Jacob Siegel
December 16, 2014
One example is Muhammed Asel, kreef to the Yazidi and a Muslim Arab sheikh from a village on the north side of the mountain.
On the Ground, Collaborators With ISIS Could Be Its Big Weakness
Christine van den Toorn
August 30, 2014
Sheikh Raad al-Khafaji had invited me to break the Ramadan fast in the headquarters of his recruiting operation.
The Brewing Battle for Baghdad
Jacob Siegel
August 3, 2014
The sheikh is ready to flee if the Lebanese security forces, considered to be in thrall to Hezbollah, make a move to arrest him.
The Sheikh Who Wants to Put the Hurt on Hezbollah in Lebanon
Jamie Dettmer
July 29, 2014
She even lauded the “amazing hospitality” of Sheikh Khalifa and the “Kingdom of Bahrain” on Twitter (before deleting the tweets).
Kim Kardashian Butts Into Syria’s (Online) Civil War With #SaveKessab Campaign
Marlow Stern, Michael Weiss
March 31, 2014

Historical Examples of sheikh

Well, they couldn't make it, because the tomb of a popular saint or sheikh was in the way.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
Somebody's trying to defeat my scheme for getting the sheikh's tomb moved.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
Our Scribe, at least, is persuaded that Sheikh Taleb spoke as a friend.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani
And let the sheikh and the priest and the rabbi embrace on that very Stump and make up.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani
And Wisdom in the person of Sheikh Taleb now knocks at thy door.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani

British Dictionary definitions for sheikh

sheikh

sheik

noun (in Muslim countries)

1. the head of an Arab tribe, village, etc
2. a venerable old man
3. a high priest or religious leader, esp a Sufi master

Word Origin for sheikh

C16: from Arabic shaykh old man

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

Word Origin and History for sheikh

sheik

"head of an Arab family," also "head of a Muslim religious order," 1570s, from Arabic shaykh "chief," literally "old man," from base of shakha "to grow old." Popularized by "The Sheik," novel in Arabian setting by E.M. Hull (1919), and the movie version, "The Sheikh," 1921, starring Rudolph Valentino, which gave it a 1920s sense of "strong, romantic lover."