caid

C3A1I1D2
/kɑːˈiːd/Arabicized/ˈkɑː.ɪd/

noun

A local governor or leader, especially in North Africa or Moorish Spain; an alcaide.

UncommonScrabble 7

Meanings

caid1

nouncaid (plural caids)

plural caids · alternative kaid · alternative qaid

  1. historicalA local governor or leader, especially in North Africa or Moorish Spain; an alcaide.

    Having taken over the land, the caids procured labour for themselves by conscripting people for forced farm work, calling the practice a form of Touiza, which was a centuries-old practice of mutual help in the rural areas.

    1990, Abdelali Doumou, The Moroccan State in Historical Perspective, 1850-1985, CODESRIA, page 43
    2 more examples

    This results in frequent and severe conflicts which, if the provincial governor and the caid are unable to resolve them, are taken to the Ministry of the Interior in Rabat. The office of caid can be considered an extension of the province head.

    2002, Ethnology, Volume 41, University of Pittsburgh, page 115

    Most of the process was in the hands of the caids who drew up first estimates of the taxable wealth. Then the local head of the Bureau Arab looked over these figures for the final fiscal census. This gave the caid much power.

    2005, Benjamin Claude Brower, A Desert Named Peace: Violence and Empire in the Algerian Sahara, 1844-1902, Volume 1, Cornell University, page 155

caid2

nouncaid (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAny of various ancient and traditional Irish football games.
  2. IrelanduncountableModern Gaelic football.

Origin

caid · noun

  1. Frenchcaïd
  2. Arabicقَائِد“leader”
  3. Englishcaid

From Arabic قَائِد (qāʔid, “leader”), probably through French caïd (or at least influenced by it in pronunciation). Doublet of alcaide and Alkaid.

Full word history & related roots →

caid · noun

  1. Irishcaid“stuffed ball; football”
  2. Englishcaid

From Irish caid (“stuffed ball; football”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French caïd
  • caïdlocal governor or leader
Polish kaid
  • kaidlocal governor or leader
Spanish caíd
  • caídlocal governor or leader

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with caid

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

caid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caid

MLA

“caid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caid. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caid,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caid.

Source: caid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.