Mahound

[ muh-hound, -hoond ]

noun

1. Archaic or Literary. an idol; a false god.
2. (in the Middle Ages) a god thought to be worshipped by Muslims.

Mahound

/ məˈhaʊnd; -ˈhuːnd /

noun

1. an archaic name for Mohammed

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mahound¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Mahoun, Mahound(e), Mahum, from Old French Mahon, short for Mahommet, the Arab prophet Muhammad, whose image was mistakenly thought to be an object of worship; excrescent -d as in astound, compound, and sound; excrescent ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mahound¹

C16: from Old French Mahun

Example Sentences

They believed Rushdie insulted the Prophet Muhammad by naming a character Mahound, a medieval corruption of “Muhammad.”

From Washington Times

In addition, Rushdie’s Mahound puts his own words into the angel Gibreel’s mouth and delivers edicts to his followers that conveniently bolster his self-serving purposes.

From Salon

In Rushdie’s book, Salman, for example, attributes certain actual passages in the Quran that place men “in charge of women” and give men the right to strike wives from whom they “fear arrogance,” to Mahound’s sexist views.

From Salon

Through Mahound, Rushdie appears to cast doubt on the divine nature of the Quran.

From Salon

The novel’s version of the Prophet is called Mahound — an alternative name for Muhammed sometimes used during the Middle Ages by Christians who considered him a devil.

From Salon