mameluke
Syllables: mam·e·luke/ˈmamɪl(j)uːk/US/ˈmæməˌluk/
mameluke noun: a fool. Also the alternative letter-case form of Mameluke.
Noun (1)
mameluke (plural mamelukes)
- A fool.
- Kabikov: “Hey, I’m setting a mood.” Mad Sal: “I’ll mood you, you mameluke.2010 June 3, James Ellroy, American Tabloid
- My goddamn son-in-law, my right-hand man, acting like a fucking mameluke in front of all those people.” “Maybe he acted that way on purpose,” Tozzi said, “To make you think he was a mameluke.” “He was a mameluke!”2014 January 28, Anthony Bruno, Bad Guys
Noun (2) capitalized: Mameluke
Mameluke (plural Mamelukes)
- A member of various military regimes in the Middle East established and run by freed white slave soldiers, mainly from the Eurasian steppe or the Caucasus; in particular, those who formed a ruling caste in Egypt from 1250 until 1812 and in Syria from 1260 until 1516.
- […] Mammolukes and Geniſaries about yͤ Turk and Sowdã [Sowdan, i.e., Sudan], haue vſed to chriſten their children of purpoſe, that by the renayĩg of their fayth, after, they might be made Mammolukes or Geniſaries, as theyr fathers were, and may be had the more in eſtimacion & fauour about the...1528, Thomas More, “A Dialogue Concernynge Heresyes & Matters of Religion […]. Chapter 15. That Princes be Boundẽ [Bounden] to Punish Heretykes, and that Fayre Handelyng Helpeth Litle with Many of...
- The Mammalukes boaſt, that they have the nimbleſt and readieſt horſes of any men at armes in the vvorld.1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of Steedes, Called in French Destriers”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 156
- One who supports someone or something blindly or slavishly; specifically, one who supports the Roman Catholic Church in this manner.
- For love of the world many are this day fallen away; and many which stood on the truth's side, and defended it awhile, for love of the world have gotten them unto the contrary part, and are become the antichrist of Rome's mamelukes, and are waxen the most wicked enemies unto the truth, and most...1531 September, William Tyndale, “The Exposition of the First Epistle of Saint John, […]. Chapter. II.”, in Henry Walter, editor, Expositions and Notes on Sundry Portions of the Holy Scriptures...
- But, so long as the Bishop of Rome remains Pope, and has an army of Mamelukes all over the world, we shall do very little by fulminating against mere doctrinal errors.1833 April 18, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Church of Rome—Celibacy of the Clergy”, in H[enry] N[elson] C[oleridge], editor, Specimens of the Table Talk of the Late Samuel Taylor Coleridge. […], volume...
- A slave (especially one who is a white European) in a Middle Eastern Muslim country.
- But this madde Amalecke, / Lyke to a Mamelek, / He regardeth lordes / No more than potshordes; […]a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Here after Foloweth a Lytell Boke, whiche hath to Name Why Come Ye Nat to Courte? […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […]...
- The King our maſter hath ſent a decree and certaine ſtatutes touching the good gouernment and orders to be executed and kept in thoſe Indian townes; and that vpon ſight hereof I ſhall preſently baniſh all the Mamalukes and white men which dwell in any of thoſe Indian townes with all ſpeede, […]1600, Feliciano Cieça de Corvalho, “A Speciall Letter Written from Feliciano Cieça de Carvalsho the Gouernour of Paraina in the Most Northerne Part of Brasil, 1597. to Philip the Second King of...
Also used as
mameluke is also the alternative letter-case form of Mameluke.
Synonyms of mameluke
Forms of mameluke
| plural | mamelukes |
|---|---|
| plural | Mamelukes |
| alternative form | Mamaluke |
| alternative form | mamaluke |
| alternative form | mameluk |
| alternative form | mameluke |
| alternative form | Mamluk |
| alternative form | mamluk |
| alternative form | mamluke |
| alternative form | mammaluke |
| alternative form | memlook |
Origin of mameluke
Sense 1 (“fool”) is probably derived from Mameluke (“member of various military regimes in the Middle East established and run by freed white slave soldiers; one who supports someone or something blindly or slavishly”).
Borrowed from a European language such as Late Latin mameluc or Middle French mamelu, mameluch (modern French mameluk, mamelouk), borrowed from Arabic مَمْلُوك (mamlūk, “(adjective) owned, possessed; (noun) slave (especially a white slave)”), the passive participle of مَلَكَ (malaka, “to own, possess; to be the master”), from م ل ك (m l k, root relating to authority and possession). Doublet of mameluco.
Words formed from mameluke
- Mamelukedom
- Mamelukery
Questions about mameluke
- What does mameluke mean?
- Mameluke means a fool.
- What part of speech is mameluke?
- Mameluke is a noun.
- How do you pronounce mameluke?
- Mameluke is pronounced /ˈmamɪl(j)uːk/ (UK).
- What is the plural of mameluke?
- The plural of mameluke is mamelukes.
Words near mameluke in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: mameluke (page history and authors); Mameluke (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mameluke.wav.
Cite this entry: “mameluke.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/mameluke. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.