iftar · noun — the evening meal that breaks each day's fast during Ramadan, traditionally beginning with dates and water.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
iftar is pronounced /ɪfˈtɑː(ɹ)/.
Why “iftar” is a great word
The evening meal that breaks the daily fast during the month of Ramadan, traditionally begun at sunset. Borrowed from Arabic إِفْطَار (ʔifṭār), a noun of action from the root ف ط ر (f-ṭ-r), meaning 'to break' or 'to split', hence 'the breaking of the fast'. Unlike *suhoor*, the quiet meal of sustenance swallowed in darkness before dawn, or the utilitarian *breakfast* of any morning, iftar is a feast born of abstinence, timed not by the clock but by the sun’s descent. It is the first sip of water slipping past dry lips, the sweet burst of a date dissolving on the tongue, the warmth of shared soup passing from hand to hand in dimming light—the body and community mended daily by the ritual of breaking bread just as the sky breaks into shadow.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from Arabic إِفْطَار (ʔifṭār).
noun
- The evening meal that breaks each day's fast during Ramadan, traditionally beginning with dates and water.e.g.“Iftars can be social events, where people congregate to eat and socialize.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- breakfasting 54% match — The act of eating breakfast. vs iftar →
- fidyah 53% match — A religious donation of money or food made to help those in need, as a forfeit by somebody who has missed a fast out of necessity. vs iftar →
- tarawih 51% match — An extra prayer performed by Sunni Muslims at night in the month of Ramadan. vs iftar →
- dinner 51% match — The main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening. vs iftar →
- breakfast 51% match — The first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning. vs iftar →
- tharid 50% match — A traditional Arab dish of pieces of bread in a vegetable or meat broth, consumed especially during Ramadan, said to have been the favourite food of the prophet Muhammad. vs iftar →
- protobrosis 49% match — The first meal after a complete fast; the meal that ends or breaks a fast. vs iftar →
- qatayef 48% match — Sweet dumplings filled with cream or nuts, traditionally served in Arab communities during Ramadan. vs iftar →