Barmecide

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈbɑːmɪˌsaɪd/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(bär′mə sīd′)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
Bar•me•cide  (bär′mə sīd′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. a member of a noble Persian family of Baghdad who, according to a tale in The Arabian Nights' Entertainments, gave a beggar a pretended feast with empty dishes.

adj. 
  1. Barmecidal.
  • Arabic
  • Persian Barmekī family name, literally, offspring of Barmek, with -ide -id1 for Persian -ī

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Barmecide / ˈbɑːmɪˌsaɪd/, Barmecidal
  1. lavish or plentiful in imagination only; illusory; sham: a Barmecide feast
Etymology: 18th Century: from the name of a prince in The Arabian Nights who served empty plates to beggars, alleging that they held sumptuous food
'Barmecide' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Barmecidal

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