iftar

American

[if-tahr] / ˈɪf tɑr /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter) the meal that Muslims eat after sunset during Ramadan to break the day’s fast.

iftar British

/ ˈɪftɑː /

noun

the meal eaten by Muslims to break their fast after sunset every day during Ramadan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of iftar

First recorded in 1830–35, iftar is from the Arabic word ʾifṭār “the breaking of the fast”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Seated on a thin carpet covering the cardboard floor, Rauzah and her four children share an iftar meal of vegetables and prawns.

From Barron's

About 3,800 iftar fast-breaking meals are served each evening, financed largely through online contributions, organisers say.

From Barron's

As the sun sets, Palestinians in Gaza gather at communal tables for the fast-breaking meal of iftar during Ramadan.

From Barron's

Only men were gathered here, with women remaining at home for iftar, the fast-breaking meal.

From Barron's

Community iftar or open iftar events are gaining popularity as well around the country where people of diverse communities and all faiths join Muslims in breaking their fasts and share a meal.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023