arab

arab — noun

IPA/ˈærəb/
KK[ˈærəb]IPA/ˈærəb/
  • arabsingular
  • arabsplural

1. a person from a people whose traditional language is Arabic.

1.nounB1
Definition

a person from a people whose traditional language is Arabic.

Example

Kemi interviewed an Arab engineer who had moved to Doha for work.

Arab + profession noun

The museum displayed poems by an Arab writer from old Cairo.

Arab + writer (identity before role noun)

Common collocations
  • Arab writer
  • Arab family
  • Arab neighbor
  • Arab scientist
Synonyms

Usage Note

Usually capitalized when it refers to people or culture. Do not confuse it with Muslim, which names a religion rather than an ethnic and linguistic group.

Common Mistakes

Every Arab is Muslim.
Many Arabs are Muslim, but not every Arab is.
Arab names a people, not a religion.

2. a horse from an Arabian breed, known for its raised tail and fine head.

2.nounC1
Definition

a horse from an Arabian breed, known for its raised tail and fine head.

Example

Saira rode a gray Arab around the farm before sunset.

Arab meaning a horse, not a person

The breeder showed Mert an Arab with a high tail and quick step.

Arab + horse-description details

Common collocations
  • Arab horse
  • Arab mare
  • Arab stallion
  • ride an Arab
Synonyms

Usage Note

Common in horse-breeding and riding contexts. It is a short noun for Arabian horse, not a general word for horses from the Arab world.

Common Mistakes

She bought an Arabian.
She bought an Arab.
In horse contexts, Arab is a common short noun for Arabian horse.

arab — adjective

IPA/ˈær.əb/
KK[ˈærəb]IPA/ˈer.əb/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Arab usually refers to a people linked by shared language, history, and culture in the Arab world. Arabic-speaking person is more descriptive and only tells you that someone uses Arabic; it does not always show ethnic identity. Middle Easterner is geographic, so it includes many non-Arab peoples as well. Muslim is religious, not ethnic. An Arab novelist from Lebanon may be Christian, while a Muslim student from Indonesia is not Arab. Use Arab when identity matters, and choose the broader or narrower term when language, region, or faith is the real point.

Arab ↗Arabic-speaking personMiddle EasternerMuslim ↗

Etymology

SemiticGreekLatinEnglish

English took this word from Latin and Greek forms of a much older Semitic name for desert-dwelling peoples. Over time it became the usual English term for Arab peoples and for things connected with them.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b