sheik

1. The leader of an Arab village, family or small tribe.
2. An Islamic religious cleric; the master of a Sufi order.
3. An official title for members of the royal family as well as some prominent families.
4. (archaic, slang) A romantic lover.
5. (slang) An Arab, especially one dressed in traditional clothing.
6. An honorific for specialists in spirituality, for example in Sufism.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃeɪk/

Etymology

From Arabic شَيْخ (šayḵ, “elder”). Sense 4 (“a romantic lover”) is from the 1921 film The Sheik.

Synonyms

sheikh

beau

dandy

fop

swell

dude

gallant

shaikh

Arab chief

tribal sheik

tribal sheikh

clotheshorse

fashion plate

macaroni

coxcomb

snob

shaykh

Translations

jeque

Scheich

cheik

sceicco

xeque

sheik

xeic

sjeik

شێخ

شَيْخ

şeyh

σεΐχης

شيخ

cheikh

şêx