Main Entry: sha·rif

Variant(s): also she·rif \shə-ˈrēf\

Function: noun

Etymology: Arabic sharīf, literally, illustrious

Date: 1599

: a descendant of the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima; broadly : one of noble ancestry or political preeminence in predominantly Islamic countries

— sha·rif·ian \-ˈrē-fē-ən\ adjective