whirling dervish
Definition
Noun: A member of the Mevlevi order of Sufi Muslims, known for performing a sacred ritual dance (the sema) as a form of active meditation. The dance involves spinning in repetitive circles, which is intended to induce a spiritual trance and represent a mystical journey towards truth and divine love.
Usage
The term specifically refers to the practitioner performing the ritual. - The whirling dervish spun with incredible grace and focus during the ceremony. - We attended a performance featuring authentic whirling dervishes from Turkey.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used metaphorically to describe a person or thing that moves with rapid, spinning, or chaotic motion.
- The leaf was caught in the wind, spinning like a whirling dervish.
- After drinking the coffee, he cleaned the house like a whirling dervish.
Variants and Related Words
- Dervish (noun): A member of a Muslim (specifically Sufi) religious order who has taken vows of poverty and austerity. Not all dervishes perform the whirling ritual.
- Sema (noun): The name of the sacred whirling ceremony performed by the Mevlevi order.
- Mevlevi (noun/adjective): Pertaining to the Sufi order founded by the poet Rumi, to which whirling dervishes belong.
Synonyms
- Spinning dervish (a direct descriptive synonym).
- Mevlevi dervish (more specific, referring to the order).
Related Idioms/Phrases
- Like a whirling dervish: An idiomatic simile used to describe frenzied, rapid, or spinning activity.
- She prepared for the party like a whirling dervish, rushing from task to task.
Noun
-
a dervish whose actions include ecstatic dancing and whirling
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