begum

verb
/bəˈɡʌm//ˈbeɪɡəm/

Etymology

From Classical Persian بیگم (bēgum), from East Turkic begüm, from beg (a title of nobility in Iran, Central Asia and South Asia) + -um (feminine suffix for titles of nobility). Compare Classical Persian خانم (xānum).

  1. borrowed from بیگم

Definitions

  1. To daub or cover with gum.

  2. a high-ranking Muslim woman, especially in South Asia

    • He went to India with his capital, and there, according to a wild legend in our family, he was once seen riding on an elephant, in company with a Baboon; but I think it must have been a Baboo—or a Begum.
    • She was the daughter of an English officer, who having fallen in love with an Indian Begum gave up home, country, and friends, and married her.
    • toxic politics dominated by the bitter infighting of the “battling begums” (the widow and daughter of former presidents, who lead the two main parties).
  3. the form of address for such a woman

  4. + 2 more definitions
    1. A surname of Bengali usage

    2. An honorific title from Central and South Asia, often used by leading women in society.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for begum. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA