English Explanatory Dictionary

Ali Baba

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. The fictional protagonist of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, famous for his encounter with forty thieves and their treasure trove cave that opens on the command "open sesame".
noun
  1. An extremely lucky person, especially one who acquires a large fortune by luck or by chance.
  2. An Iraqi.
  3. A large container, such as a jar or a basket, with a flat base and usually a rounded body that tapers to a narrower neck.
noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Ali Baba.

Pronunciation

/ˈælɪˌbɑbə/ En-au-Ali Baba.ogg

Word forms

Ali Baba Ali Babas

Etymology

From Arabic علي بابا. The use of Ali Baba to designate a type of container originates from the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (see the use as proper noun below), suggesting the appearance of the oil jars in which the thieves hide in the story.

Derived words

Ali Baba bag
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