Nawab
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A Muslim official in South Asia acting as a provincial deputy ruler under the Mughal empire; a local governor. historical
"Colonel Altamont, the Nawaub of Lucknow’s prime favourite, an extraordinary man, who had, it was said, embraced Mahometanism, and undergone a thousand wild and perilous adventures was at present in this country, trying to negotiate with the Begum Clavering, the sale of the Nawaub’s celebrated nose-ring diamond, ‘the light of the Dewan.’"
- 2 a governor in India during the Mogul empire wordnet
- 3 Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Polyura (possibly a subgenus of genus Charaxes).
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Colonel Altamont, the Nawaub of Lucknow’s prime favourite, an extraordinary man, who had, it was said, embraced Mahometanism, and undergone a thousand wild and perilous adventures was at present in this country, trying to negotiate with the Begum Clavering, the sale of the Nawaub’s celebrated nose-ring diamond, ‘the light of the Dewan.’"
Etymology
From Hindi नवाब (navāb)/Urdu نواب (navāb), from Persian نوّاب (navvâb), ultimately from Arabic نُوَّاب (nuwwāb), plural of نَائِب (nāʔib, “naib”).