dervish

• darwaysh, darwesh, dervice, dervis, dervise (archaic)

From Turkish derviş, from Ottoman Turkish درویش‎, from Persian درویش‎ (darviš), from Middle Persian dlgwš (driyōš, “poor, needy”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɜːvɪʃ/

dervish (plural dervishes)

1. A member of the Dervish fraternity of Sufism, known for spinning.
2. (historical) A citizen or inhabitant of Darawiish (circa 1895–1920 C.E.), the Dhulbahante anti-colonial polity geographically corresponding with Khaatumo.
3. (historical) One of the fanatical followers of the Mahdi, in the Sudan, in the 1880s.
   1. (by extension) Any irregular guerrilla fighter resembling the Mahdi in equipment, uniform, tactics, etc.
      • 1926, T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, New York: Anchor (1991), p. 104:

        The Hejaz war, meanwhile, would be one of dervishes against regular troops.

• Whirling Dervish

• shrived