sheik

Meaning

1. The leader of an Arab village, family or small tribe.
2. An Islamic religious cleric; the leader of an Islamic religious order.
3. An official title for members of the royal family as well as some prominent families.
4. A romantic lover. (from the 1921 film The Sheik)
5. (slang) An Arab, especially one dressed in traditional clothing.
6. An honorific for specialists in spirituality, for example in Sufism.

Synonyms

sheikh

beau

dandy

fop

swell

dude

gallant

shaikh

Arab chief

tribal sheik

tribal sheikh

clotheshorse

fashion plate

macaroni

coxcomb

snob

shaykh

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃeɪk/

Etymology

From Arabic شَيْخ (šayḵ, “elder”).