sheik

[ sheek, sheyk ]
/ ʃik, ʃeɪk /

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.

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Origin of sheik

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

OTHER WORDS FROM sheik

sheik·like, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sheik

shake sheik (see synonym study at shake)

Words nearby sheik

sheffield lake, sheffield plate, sheffield shield, shegetz, shehitah, sheik, sheika, sheikdom, sheikh, sheikhdom, sheila
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sheikh

British Dictionary definitions for sheikh

sheikh

sheik

/ (ʃeɪk) /

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