Kizilbash

noun

Kiz·​il·​bash
¦kizəl¦bäsh
plural Kizilbash or Kizilbashes
1
: a Persianized Turk of a class devoted to business and professional pursuits in Afghanistan
also : a member of a community of Turkish or mixed-race colonists in Asia Minor
2
: a community of Kurdish Turks in eastern Turkey who are Christians and whose women refuse to veil their faces
3
: a nomadic people in the plains around Ankara, Karahisar, and Tokat

Word History

Etymology

Turkish kizilbaş, from kizil red + baş head

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Dictionary Entries Near Kizilbash

Cite this Entry

“Kizilbash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kizilbash. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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