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