Seif
name, noun ·1 syllable ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A sand dune that elongates parallel to the prevailing wind.
"Such seifs have a somewhat zig-zag form instead of a fairly straight line. On the top of seifs small transverse dunelets are very often found, and these may be likened to almost straightened-out barchans.[…]On the top of the seif they form a wave-like pattern with a fairly defined "wavelength"."
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"Such seifs have a somewhat zig-zag form instead of a fairly straight line. On the top of seifs small transverse dunelets are very often found, and these may be likened to almost straightened-out barchans.[…]On the top of the seif they form a wave-like pattern with a fairly defined "wavelength"."
Etymology
From Arabic سَيْف (sayf, “sword”). Doublet of xiphos.
Two possible origins: * Borrowed from German Seif, a metonymic occupational surname for a soap-maker, from Seife (“soap”). * A variant spelling of Saif, an Arabic surname which can be found in both Muslim and Christian communities.
Related phrases
More for "seif"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.