Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A member of a military regime created and run originally by freed white slaves, which formed a ruling caste in Egypt from 1250 until 1812 and in Syria until 1516.
  • noun obsolete A slave (especially white) in a Muslim country.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French mamelouk, ultimately from Arabic مملوك (mamluk, "slave")from ملك (málaka, "to possess, to acquire")

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word mameluke.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.