Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

sabir

noun
Save Word
sa·​bir | \ səˈbi(ə)r \
plural -s

Definition of sabir

: a French-based pidgin language of North Africa

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for sabir

French, from the word for “know” in a concocted lingua franca used by Molière †1673 French playwright in his comedy Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (1670) as the vehicle of a song (of which the first two lines are Se ti sabir, Ti respondir meaning “if you know, answer”), probably from Spanish saber to know

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about sabir

Statistics for sabir

Cite this Entry

“Sabir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sabir. Accessed 8 Jul. 2020.

Comments on sabir

What made you want to look up sabir? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

emulate

Listen to the pronunciation of emulate

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

A More Exception(al) Quiz

  • hot dog hot dog hot dog hot dog cat
  • Which of the following words is not a synonym for ‘a young person’?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Citation

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games