shabiha

S1H4A1B3I1H4A1

noun

A state-sponsored militia of the Syrian government.

OriginNorth Levantine Arabic شَبِّيحَة →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounshabiha (plural shabihas or shabiha)

plural shabihas

  1. A state-sponsored militia of the Syrian government.

Origin

  1. North Levantine Arabicشَبِّيحَة“gangsters”
  2. Englishshabiha

Borrowed from North Levantine Arabic شَبِّيحَة (šabbīḥa, “gangsters”).

More words from North Levantine Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Habashisahibah
Cite this entry
APA

shabiha. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shabiha

MLA

“shabiha.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shabiha. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shabiha,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shabiha.

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