Meanings
plural mahbubs · alternative mahboob
- A gold coin used in the Ottoman Empire.
The only coins allowed by the Turkish government to be struck at Cairo are the Mahbub (or Zermahbub) Sequins, and Medini.
1811, Patrick Kelly, The universal cambist, and commercial instructor, page 832 more examples
His ready cash consisted of eight hundred thousand mahbub and funduclys; the rest of his treasure was in jewels, to the amount of about six million of ducats.
1783, Sauveur Lusignan, A history of the Revolution of Ali Bey against the Ottoman Porte, page 119At Grand Cairo in Egypt, contracts are made in funducli and mahbub sequins; the former are reckoned at 146 medini, and 3 mahbubs are equal to 4 pataccas, so that the mahbub is worth 120 medini.
1819, Abraham Rees, The Cyclopædia: Or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and LiteratureSynonyms: zermahbub
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA gold coin used in the Ottoman Empire.
Origin
- Arabicمَحْبُوب“gold coin; beloved”
- Englishmahbub
From Arabic مَحْبُوب (maḥbūb, “gold coin; beloved”).
More words from Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
mahbub. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mahbub
“mahbub.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mahbub. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mahbub,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mahbub.
Source: mahbub on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.