ayatollah
/ˌʌɪəˈtɒlə
/noun
A high-ranking religious leader among Shiite Muslims, especially in Iran.The chief ayatollah of the Shiite Muslims in Iraq says he wants direct democratic elections to take place....
- The same applies to Protestant and Orthodox Christian leaders, the Dalai Lama, the Muslim ayatollahs, Jewish rabbinical councils, and all other modern-day religious patriarchs.
- Najaf is the seat of the Shi'ite's ayatollahs, or spiritual leaders.
Origin
1950s: from Persian, from Arabic 'āyatu-llāh, literally 'token of God'.
Rhymes
- galactosyl transferase
- galacturonic
- galago
- galah
- Galahad
- galah session
- galaktoboureko
- Galalith
- galanga
- galangal
- galange
- galangin
- galanin
- galant
- galantamine
- galantee show
- galanterie
- galanthamine
- galanthophile
- galantine
- galanty show
- Galapagos finches
- Galapagos Islands
- Galapagos penguin
- Galapagos tortoise