dervish
noun /ˈdɜːvɪʃ/
/ˈdɜːrvɪʃ/
- a member of a Muslim religious group whose members make a promise to stay poor and live without comforts or pleasures. They perform a fast lively dance as part of their religious ceremonies.
- He threw himself around the stage like a whirling dervish.
Word Originfrom Turkish derviş, from Persian darvīš ‘poor’, (as a noun) ‘religious mendicant’.