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Webster 1913 Edition

Hegira

He-gi′ra

(?; 277)
,
Noun.
[Written also
hejira
.]
[Ar.
hijrah
flight.]
The flight of Mohammed from Mecca, September 13,
a. d.
622 (subsequently established as the first year of the Moslem era); hence, any flight or exodus regarded as like that of Mohammed.
☞ The starting point of the Era was made to begin, not from the date of the flight, but from the first day of the Arabic year, which corresponds to July 16,
a. d.
622.

Webster 1828 Edition

Hegira

HEGI'RA

,
Noun.
In chronology, an epoch among the Mohammedans, from which they compute time. The event which gave rise to it was the flight of Mohammed from Mecca; from which the magistrates, fearing his impostures might raise a sedition, expelled him, July 10, A.D. 622,under the reign of the emperor Heraclius.

Definition 2024

Hegira

Hegira

See also: hegira and hégira

English

Proper noun

Hegira

  1. Alternative form of Hijra.

Derived terms

hegira

hegira

See also: Hegira and hégira

English

Alternative forms

Noun

hegira ‎(plural hegiras)

  1. A journey taken to escape from danger; an exodus.
    • 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry for Freedom, Oxford 2003, p. 43:
      By all odds the most remarkable westward migration before the California gold rush of 1849 was the Mormon hegira to the Great Salt Lake basin.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin hegira, from Arabic هِجْرَة ‎(hijra, “Hijra; emigration”), from the verb هَجَرَ ‎(hajara, “to emigrate; to abandon”).

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