Main Entry: bed·ou·in

Variant(s): also bed·u·in \ˈbe-də-wən, -dü-ən, ˈbed-wən\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural bedouin or bedouins also beduin or beduins

Usage: often capitalized

Etymology: Middle English Bedoyne, from Middle French bedoïn, from Arabic badawī desert dweller, from badw desert, desert dwellers

Date: 15th century

: a nomadic Arab of the Arabian, Syrian, or North African deserts