shah

[ shah, shaw ]

noun

, (often initial capital letter)

1. (formerly, in Iran) king; sovereign.

shah

/ ʃɑː /

noun

1. a ruler of certain Middle Eastern countries, esp (formerly) Iran

Derived Forms

• ˈshahdom, noun

Other Words From

• shahdom noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shah¹

1560–70; < Persian: king

Word History and Origins

Origin of shah¹

C16: from Persian: king

Example Sentences

Alimouri’s “bleeding heart” came from his father, who fled Iran after opposing both the shah and the country’s Islamic regime, finding work in the United States as a chauffeur.

From Los Angeles Times

Those groups were fueled by donations or assets seized after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, particularly those previously associated with Iran’s shah or those in his government.

From Seattle Times

It was a tense period in Iran: A revolution to overthrow the shah was escalating.

From New York Times

The shah, terminally and secretly ill with cancer, fled the country in January 1979.

From Seattle Times

After Iran’s Islamic Revolution swept the shah from power, Soleimani joined the Revolutionary Guard.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• czar
• emperor
• king
• monarch
• sultan