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Hamas

//həˈmɑs// name

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A Palestinian Islamist militant group and political organization.

    "Hamas knew there would be massive retaliations."

  2. 2
    Alternative form of Hamas. alt-of, alternative

    "He wanted to travel to Gaza in the Palestinian territories to join HAMAS’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigade in its fight against Israel."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic حَمَاس (ḥamās, literally “enthusiasm”), an acronym for حَرَكَة اَلْمُقَاوَمَةِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ (ḥarakat al-muqāwama l-ʔislāmiyya, “Islamic Resistance Movement”). A few speakers pronounce it with /x/ to imitate Hebrew חַמַאס instead.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic حَمَاس (ḥamās, literally “enthusiasm”). The all-capitalized form reflects the term's origin as the Arabic abbreviation of حَرَكَة اَلْمُقَاوَمَةِ الْإِسْلَامِيَّةِ (ḥarakat al-muqāwama l-ʔislāmiyya, “Islamic Resistance Movement”).

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