noun
shah
shah
noun
1
A historical title for the king or ruler of Persia (modern-day Iran).
"The last Shah of Iran was overthrown in the 1979 revolution."
2
More broadly, a supreme ruler in certain Central, South, or West Asian states.
"The region was once governed by a local shah."
How to Use Shah
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA traditional title for a Persian or Iranian monarch.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
shahs plural, shahs plural, shahy plural, shahiv plural, Shahs plural
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The last _____ of Iran was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.
Etymology
From Persian shāh ("king"), ultimately from Old Persian — the same root that gives us "chess" and "check" (as in checkmate, literally "the king is dead").