A successor of Muhammad

• Islamic ruler: var
• The civil and religious leader of a Muslim state

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Caliph \Ca"liph\ (k[=a]"l[i^]f), n. [OE. caliphe, califfe, F. calife (cf. Sp. califa), fr. Ar. khal[=i]fan successor, fr. khalafa to succed (i. e. a successor of Mohammed).] Successor or vicar; the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state; -- a title ...

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. (alternative spelling of caliph English)

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. the civil and religious leader of a Muslim state considered to be a representative of Allah on earth; "many radical Muslims believe a Khalifah will unite all Islamic lands and people and subjugate the rest of the world" [syn: caliph , calif , kalif , ...