n.
Variant: also ca · lif
Pronunciation: ' k ā -l ə f, ' ka-l ə f
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English caliphe, from Middle French calife, from Arabic khal ī fa successor
Date: 14th century
: a successor of Muhammad as temporal and spiritual head of Islam ― used as a title
– ca · liph · al \ -l ə -f ə l \ adjective