devshirme

D2E1V4S1H4I1R1M3E1

noun

Systematic collection of non-Muslim boys or young men from rural Christian populations of the Balkans, practiced by Ottomans; the boys were taken to Istanbul, converted to Islam and educated for military profession or religious disciplines.

OriginOttoman Turkish دیوشیرمه →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

noundevshirme (uncountable)

alternative devshirmeh

  1. historicaluncountableSystematic collection of non-Muslim boys or young men from rural Christian populations of the Balkans, practiced by Ottomans; the boys were taken to Istanbul, converted to Islam and educated for military profession or religious disciplines.

Origin

  1. Ottoman Turkishدیوشیرمه
  2. Englishdevshirme

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish دیوشیرمه (devşirme, literally “collection, gathering”) (Turkish devşirme).

More words from Ottoman Turkish

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic دَوْشِيرْمَة
  • دَوْشِيرْمَة (dawšīrma)collection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
Bulgarian девширме, кръвен данък
  • девширме (devširme)collection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
  • кръвен данък (krăven danăk)collection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
Greek παιδομάζωμα
  • παιδομάζωμα (paidomázoma)collection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
Italian devscirme
  • devscirmecollection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
Persian دوشیرمه
  • دوشیرمه (devširme)collection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
Russian де́вширме
  • де́вширме (dévširme)collection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
Turkish devşirme
  • devşirmecollection of non-Muslim children to be converted to Islam
Cite this entry
APA

devshirme. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devshirme

MLA

“devshirme.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devshirme. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “devshirme,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devshirme.

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