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fakir

noun
fa·​kir

Definition of fakir

1 \ fə-​ˈkir How to pronounce fə-ˈkir (audio) , fä-​ , fa-​ ; ˈfā-​kər \

a : a Muslim mendicant : dervish
b : an itinerant Hindu ascetic or wonder-worker
2 \ ˈfā-​kər How to pronounce ˈfā-kər (audio) \ : impostor especially : swindler
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Examples of fakir in a Sentence

a traveling carnival that was run by fakirs preying on small-town rubes a fakir peddling patent medicines that were mostly liquor and sugar

Recent Examples on the Web

 To be fair, the new nationalists have done their best, explicitly and repeatedly, to distance their emerging movement from white nationalists, alt-right fakirs, strident isolationists, and other assorted cranks. — John Hood, National Review, "New Nationalists Make Three Big Bets," 28 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fakir.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of fakir

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for fakir

Arabic faqīr, literally, poor man

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More from Merriam-Webster on fakir

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with fakir

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fakir

Spanish Central: Translation of fakir

Nglish: Translation of fakir for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fakir

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