dervish
noun
Simple meaning
A member of a Sufi Muslim ascetic fraternity of mendicant friars.
Pronunciation
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durvishSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈdɝvɪʃ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A member of a Sufi Muslim ascetic fraternity of mendicant friars.
islam
An itinerant Sufi mystic practicing voluntary poverty in devotion to God, and often engaging in ecstatic rituals.
An ascetic Muslim monk; a member of an order noted for devotional exercises involving bodily movements
by extension
Any irregular guerrilla fighter resembling the Sudanese Mahdi in equipment, uniform, tactics, etc.
Word at a Glance
- Frequency
- Rare
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Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A dervish whose actions include ecstatic dancing and whirling.
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