English Words from Arabic origins
(words that have come into English directly or indirectly, from or through, Arabic)
An evergreen tree, Tamarindus indica of the family of legumes: Tamarinds are grown in many tropical areas and have hard and yellowish wood, feather-like leaves, and yellow and red striped flowers.
The fruit of the tamarind is used in preserves and in flavoring drinks and food.
1. An embroidery frame made with two rounded hoops: Jane placed her fabric between the two round wooded hoops of the tambour and tightened it with the screw on the side in order to do her embroidery work.
2. The sliding top of a desk or cabinet: Little Ivy has an old desk with a tambour made of thin and narrow strips of wood that are glued close together on a canvas backing.
2. The sliding top of a desk or cabinet: Little Ivy has an old desk with a tambour made of thin and narrow strips of wood that are glued close together on a canvas backing.
A small framed drum with only one side covered with a drum skin and with small loosely attached metal disks on the tread: The tambourine is a percussion instrument that can be shaken or hit with the hand.
A tax collected by a government on goods coming into a country: The U.S.A. has put on tariffs on goods arriving from foreign nations, which creates difficulties in trade.
One of many species of fish of the genus Thunnus: Sally learned that the tuna she like to eat on her sandwiches were of the family Scombridae..
A high-ranking official person in some Muslim countries, particularly in the Ottoman Empire: The vizies had different jobs, like that of a provincial governor or as a chief minister to the sultan.
A small transport vessel of the Mediterranean: The sailing xebec first had two masts and then later three masts, and had an overhanging bow and stern.
In former times, a xebec was used by Algerian pirates.
1. The point in the sky directly above an individual: John looked up into the sky after dark and saw the Moon at its zenith.
2. High point, peak, best moment: Being elected mayor was the zenith of Bill's political career.
3. Most successful, peak, greatest success: The United States was at its zenith before Donald Trump became President.
4. Etymology: from Arabic samt, "path over the head". The Arabic samt became the English zenith because a medieval scribe copied the word samt incorrectly, making it "senit", which became our zenith.
2. High point, peak, best moment: Being elected mayor was the zenith of Bill's political career.
3. Most successful, peak, greatest success: The United States was at its zenith before Donald Trump became President.
4. Etymology: from Arabic samt, "path over the head". The Arabic samt became the English zenith because a medieval scribe copied the word samt incorrectly, making it "senit", which became our zenith.
Another explanation: about 1387, from Old French cenith then French zénith which came from Medieval Latin (Latin as written and spoken c.700-c.1500) cenit, senit, a bungled scribal transliteration of Arabic samt, "road, path"; an abbreviation of samt ar-ras, literally, "the way over the head".
The absence of quantity, size, or magnitude: Zero is neither negative nor positive.
When the school lesson was over, the students left the room and the teacher waited until there were zero students in the classroom
