Meanings
xeriff1
plural xeriffs
- obsoleteObsolete form of ashrafi.
The Turkish Sultani, or Egyptian Xeriff, being a Gold Coin, with which the Barbary and Venetian Chequeens and Marienberg Ducat, very near agree to 53 1/2 Grains.
1707, Alexander Justice, Samuel Ricard, A General Treatise of Monies and Exchanges; In which those of all Trading Nations are particularly described and considered, page 12
xeriff2
plural xeriffs
- obsoleteObsolete form of sharif.
The emperors or kings of Morocco are the successors of those sovereigns of that country who are called xeriffs, and whose powers resembled that of the caliphate of the Saracens.
1795, William Guthrie, A New Geographical, Historical, and Commercial Grammar1 more example
Don Emanuel de Castro now ventured in council to address his sovereign, informing him that their Moorish ally had grossly exaggerated his ability and the inclinations of the Africans, as they appeared mostly unanimous in defence of the present Xeriff's authority.
1838, Anna Maria Porter, Don Sebastian; or, The house of Braganza, page 51
Origin
- Arabicشَرِيفِيّ
- Englishxeriff
From Arabic شَرِيفِيّ (šarīfiyy).
More words from Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
xeriff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xeriff
“xeriff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xeriff. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “xeriff,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xeriff.
Source: xeriff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.