Barmecide

[ bahr-muh-sahyd ]

/ ˈbɑr məˌsaɪd /

noun

a member of a noble Persian family of Baghdad who, according to a tale in The Arabian Nights' Entertainments, gave a beggar a pretended feast with empty dishes.

adjective

Barmecidal.

Origin of Barmecide

< Persian Barmekī family name, literally, offspring of Barmek, with -ide -id¹ for Persian -ī < Arabic

Example sentences from the Web for barmecide

Schacabac went in, and passed through many beautiful rooms, looking for the Barmecide.

Fifty Famous Stories Retold |James Baldwin
It knows too well how people stuff one with fine words, and will not let itself be satisfied with this Barmecide dish.

The Ego and His Own |Max Stirner
Everything tastes so desiccated and deodorized, the mere shadow of really substantial viands, a veritable feast of Barmecide.

In Jeopardy |Van Tassel Sutphen
And so Schacabac lived with the Barmecide many years, and never again knew what it was to be hungry.

Fifty Famous Stories Retold |James Baldwin

The Barmecide spoke of sweet-meats and fruits; and Schacabac made believe that he was eating them.

Fifty Famous Stories Retold |James Baldwin

British Dictionary definitions for barmecide

Barmecide

Barmecidal

/ (ˈbɑːmɪˌsaɪd) /

adjective

lavish or plentiful in imagination only; illusory; sham a Barmecide feast

Word Origin for Barmecide

C18: from the name of a prince in The Arabian Nights who served empty plates to beggars, alleging that they held sumptuous food

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

Barmecide

noun

adjective

Origin of Barmecide

Example sentences from the Web for barmecide

British Dictionary definitions for barmecide

Barmecidal

adjective

Word Origin for Barmecide