Barmecidal

adjective

Bar·​me·​cid·​al ˌbär-mə-ˈsī-dᵊl How to pronounce Barmecidal (audio)
variants or Barmecide
: providing only the illusion of abundance
a Barmecidal feast

Did you know?

Barmecide is the name of a family of princes in a tale from The Thousand and One Nights (also known as The Arabian Nights' Entertainment). One prince in the family torments a beggar by inviting him to a fabulous feast, at which all the dishes are imaginary. The poor man plays along with his malicious host, pretending to get drunk on the imaginary wine; he then gets even by knocking down the patronizing royal.

Word History

Etymology

Barmecide, a wealthy Persian, who, in a tale of The Arabian Nights' Entertainments, invited a beggar to a feast of imaginary food

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Barmecidal was in 1823

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Dictionary Entries Near Barmecidal

Cite this Entry

“Barmecidal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Barmecidal. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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