from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
caliph
n 1: the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered
to be a representative of Allah on earth; "many radical
Muslims believe a Khalifah will unite all Islamic lands and
people and subjugate the rest of the world" [syn: {caliph},
{calif}, {kaliph}, {kalif}, {khalif}, {khalifah}]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Caliph \Ca"liph\ (k[=a]"l[i^]f), n. [OE. caliphe, califfe, F.
calife (cf. Sp. califa), fr. Ar. khal[imac]fan successor, fr.
khalafa to succed (i. e. a successor of Mohammed).]
Successor or vicar; the civil and religious leader of a
Muslim state; -- a title of the successors of Mohammed both
as temporal and spiritual rulers, used formerly by the
sultans of Turkey. [Written also {calif}, {kaliph}, {kalif},
{khalif}.]
[1913 Webster]