/ ʃeɪk; NAmE ; ʃiːk/ (also shaikh / ʃeɪk/) noun
1.
an Arab prince or leader; the head of an Arab family, village, etc.
2.
a leader in a Muslim community or organization
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: based on Arabic šayḵ old man, sheikh, from šāḵa be or grow old.