Arab, n. and a.
(ˈærəb)
[a. F. Arabe, ad. L. adj. Arab-em (nom. Arabs), a. Gr. ἄραψ, ἀραβ-.]
A. n.
1. One of the Semitic race inhabiting Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries.
| 1634 T. Herbert Trav. 324 (T.) The vulgar Arabs. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. (1874) I. App. 360 Neither an Arab nor Byzantine ever jests in his architecture. 1893 F. Adams New Egypt 65 All, or nearly all, retain a sense of their superiority to the ‘Arabs’ (under this term, which is quite inaccurate, of course, except in so far as it alludes to the speech, it is usual to include all the Egyptians). 1902 [see ethnic n. 2]. 1936 Discovery June 172/2 In Africa the term ‘Arab’ is commonly applied to any people professing Islam, however much Negro, Hamitic, or other foreign blood may run in their veins. |
2. An Arab horse (prized for pure breed and fleetness).
| a 1666 Evelyn Diary 25 Oct. an. 1644 (1955) II. 195 A stable of incomparable Horses of all Countries, Arabs, Turks, Barbs, [etc.]. 1844 Disraeli Coningsby iii. iii. 274 ‘A fine Arab, the finest in the world!’ said the Duke, who was very fond of horses. 1880 G. A. Mackay 21 Days in India 114 Next morning sees the entire party..mounted on Arabs. |
3. (Orig. Arab of the city, city Arab, street Arab.) A homeless little wanderer; a child of the street.
| 1848 Guthrie Plea for Ragged Sch., The Arab of the City..The City Arab. 1848 Ld. Shaftesb. Sp. in Parl. 6 June, City Arabs..are like tribes of lawless freebooters, bound by no obligations, and utterly ignorant or utterly regardless of social duties. 1872 Calverley Fly-Leaves (title) The Arab. 1883 Pall Mall G. 27 Oct. 5 The hero and heroine began life as street Arabs of Glasgow. |
B. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to Arabia or the Arabs.
| 1816 Shelley Alastor 129 An Arab maiden brought his food. 1855 Tennyson Maud i. xvi. 15 The delicate Arab arch of her feet. |
2. Special collocation. Arab League, an association of Arab nations formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 in order to consolidate political and other relationships between member states.
| 1945 Facts on File 21–27 Mar. 93/2 Delegates of six Arab states today signed the final draft of the constitution of an *Arab League, Cairo reports. 1958 Listener 21 Aug. 256/1 The Sudan protested to the Arab League. 1985 N.Y. Times 27 Nov. a9/2 King Hassan said that Mr. Peres had asked to be invited to Morocco to talk with the King, who is chairman of the 21-nation Arab League. |
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▸ Arab street n. orig. and chiefly U.S. popular public opinion in Arab countries or communities, esp. on political issues; cf. street n. 3d.
| 1977 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 71 1373/1 The existence of nuclear weapons in the region will induce moderation and a revolution of declining expectations in the *Arab ‘street’. 1992 Economist 7 Mar. 73/1 Saddam Hussein and Moammar Qaddafi prefer to think of themselves as representing the true voice of the Arab street. 2002 U.S. News & World Rep. 5 Aug. 7/1 We shall be warned by Riyadh and Cairo that war against Iraq will rile the Arab street, that we can't head to Baghdad with Gaza in turmoil. |