salaam

interjection

1. 1

   A respectful ceremonial greeting used mostly by Muslims.

noun

1. 1

   A low bow as a ceremonial act of deference.

   […] the finest dressed one entered first; put her two hands to her forehead, then to her breasts, and with her two hands touched the Colonel’s foot; this is called a grand salam […]

   1840, John Wilson, “On the Genius and Character of Burns” in John Wilson and Robert Chambers, The Land of Burns, Glasgow: Blackie & Son, Volume 2, p. lxxv, Finally, Josiah might have made his salaam to the Exciseman just as he was folding up that letter […]

   1895, Rabindranath Tagore, letter dated 14 August, 1895 in Glimpses of Bengal, London: Macmillan, 1921, pp. 160-161, My servant was late one morning, and I was greatly annoyed at his delay. He came up and stood before me with his usual salaam, and with a slight catch in his voice explained that his eight-year-old daughter had died last night.

   A turbaned Arab placed cigarettes and cups of coffee spiced with saffron before the customers, gave salaam and withdrew.

verb

1. 1

   To perform a salaam to (someone).

   [H]e went away salaaming, and protesting his friendship and his master’s goodwill.

   He salaamed low to Flory, covering his face with his hand […]

   Outside the town, three ragged children salaamed the Governor from the back of a camel.

   Beside himself, his possibilities; / salaaming hours of a half-blind morning / while the rainy lepers salaamed back,

Forms

plural

salaams

past tense

salaamed

past participle

salaamed

present participle

salaaming

third person singular

salaams