Barmecide

American  

[bahr-muh-sahyd] / ˈbɑr məˌsaɪd /

noun

1. a member of a noble Persian family of Baghdad who, according to a tale in The Arabian Nights' Entertainments, gave a beggar a pretended feast with empty dishes.

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adjective

1. Barmecidal.

Barmecide British  

/ ˈbɑːmɪˌsaɪd /

adjective

1. lavish or plentiful in imagination only; illusory; sham

   a Barmecide feast

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Etymology

Origin of Barmecide

< Persian Barmekī family name, literally, offspring of Barmek, with -ide -id ¹ for Persian -ī < Arabic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Barmecide

The latter piece, titled “The Barmecide Feast,” is well built — down to the corny Late Empire porcelains employed as backdrop on the luminous white set.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2017

The Barmecide spoke of sweet-meats and fruits; and Schacabac made believe that he was eating them.

From Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin

It was the Barmecide; and poor Schacabac bowed low before him, as was the custom in that country.

From Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin

The expression Barmecide Feast, meaning a visionary banquet or make-believe entertainment, originates from the Barber's story of his Sixth Brother in the Arabian Nights' Entertainments.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 Atrebates to Bedlis by Various

But he thought that he ought to do as he was bidden; and so, like the Barmecide, he made a pretense of washing.

From Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin