Shiʿah

or Shi·ʿa

[shee-uh]

noun Islam.

(used with a plural verb) the Shiʿites.

(used with a singular verb) Shiʿite.

Origin of Shiʿah

First recorded in 1620–30, Shiʿah is from the Arabic word shīʿah literally, sect

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shiah

Historical Examples of shiah

The call to prayer from the minarets was adapted to Shiah taste.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 5
Various
Among Muhammadans, Shiah women remove their nose-rings during the Muharram as a sign of mourning.
The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India, Vol. II (of 2)
W. Crooke
It may be added that the King of Ahmadbd declined to accept the suggestion that he should become a Shiah.
Rulers of India: Albuquerque
Henry Morse Stephens
The story of his life as handed down by Shiah or Sunni writers has been much exaggerated.
Mystics and Saints of Islam
Claud Field
Most of the Persian trade with Baghdad and thousands of Shiah pilgrims annually pass through it.
Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2)
Isabella L. Bird

British Dictionary definitions for shiah

Shiah

Shia

noun

one of the two main branches of Islam (the other being the Sunni), making up a tenth or more of the entire Muslim population, and forming the majority in Iran and Iraq, which regards Mohammed's cousin Ali and his successors as the true imams

another name for Shiite

adjective

designating or characteristic of this sect or its beliefs and practices

Word Origin for Shiah

C17: from Arabic shī`ah sect, from shā`a to follow

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