From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcaliphca‧liph /ˈkeɪlɪf/ noun [countable] PGOHIGH POSITION OR RANKa Muslim ruler, especially in the past
Examples from the Corpus
caliph• Shortly afterwards, his defeated opponent Ali reappeared and was in turn acclaimed caliph.• He was the second caliph to govern after the death of the Prophet. 2.• The stranger asked permission to approach the caliph, who granted it and invited him to be seated.• As soon as the city showed signs of disorder, the caliph ordered women to stay at home.• Several hours earlier the caliph woke feeling very strange.• Only the violence of the subversive could interact with the violence of the caliph.• The caliph is the successor to the Prophet, the one who takes his place as governor of the faithful.• The caliph was veiled because he represented a dangerous concentration of power-the power to kill.Origin caliph (1300-1400) Old French calife, from Arabic khalifah “person who comes after”; because a caliph is regarded as a successor of Mohammed 