English Explanatory Dictionary

Great Satan

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. The United States of America, particularly with regard to its perceived imperialist foreign policy.
name
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Great Satan.

Word forms

Great Satan the Great Satan

Etymology

Calque of Iranian Persian شیطان بزرگ (šeytân-e bozorg), which is more often the name of the largest of the three jamarat at which stones are thrown during the hajj. The derogatory sense was coined by Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989 Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, one day after the onset of the Iran hostage crisis.

Related words

Jewnited Snakes
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