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imam

i·mam [ i mm ] (plural i·mams)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. leader of mosque prayers: in Islam, a man who leads the prayers in a mosque

2. religious leader descended from Muhammad: in the Shia branch of Islam, an Islamic religious leader regarded as a direct descendant of Muhammad or Ali and appointed by Allah

3. Islamic community leader: in the Sunni branch of Islam, a leader of an Islamic community

4. Islamic scholar: a respected Islamic scholar, especially a founder of a school of theology or law

[Early 17th century. < Arabic 'imām "leader"]
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