sherif
Americannoun
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a governor of Mecca descended from Muhammad.
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an Arab chief, prince, or ruler.
noun
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a descendant of Mohammed through his daughter Fatima
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(formerly) the governor of Mecca
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an honorific title accorded to any Muslim ruler
Etymology
Origin of sherif
First recorded in 1590–1600, sherif is from the Arabic word sharīf “exalted (person)”
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.
Not long after, the sherif took a straw poll.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 7, 2016
Reluctantly, the Trib shot down the sherif and later sank the frater.
From Time Magazine Archive
I married the daughter of an old sherif, and became the recognized chief of my section of the tribe.
From Time Magazine Archive
The troops deserted Fustat in a panic, and the women of the city, running out of their houses, implored the sherif to intercede with the conqueror.
From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 05 (From Charlemagne to Frederick Barbarossa) by Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis)
I would rather,” he concluded, “pay a fine to the sherif than receive a favour from the Pasha.”
From Travels in Arabia; comprehending an account of those territories in Hedjaz which the Mohammedans regard as sacred by Burckhardt, John Lewis
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.
