c. 1300, adjective and noun; see Arab + -ian. As a prized type of horse, it is attested from 1660s. The Arabian bird was the phoenix.

monstrous predatory bird of Arabian mythology, 1570s, from Arabic rukhkh, from Persian rukh. It is mentioned in Marco Polo's account of Madagascar; according to OED, modern use of the word mostly is due to translations of the "Arabian Nights" tales. Hence roc's egg "something marvelous or prodigious." Compare simurgh.

"hot, dry desert wind" in the Arabian peninsula and elsewhere in that region, 1790, from Arabic samum "a sultry wind," literally "poisonous," from samma "he poisoned," from sam "poison."

also Scheherazade, the narrator of the "Arabian Nights;" the name was used by 1807 in reference to "(young, attractive, female) teller of long tales."

historical country or region east of Persia between Afghanistan and the Arabian Sea, now forming southwestern Pakistan, from the people-name Baluchi (in English from 1610s) + -stan.

1933 (Sa'udis), from Sa'ud, family name of the rulers of Nejd from 18c. and of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 1932. The name is from Arabic sa'd "good fortune, happiness." With common Semitic national designation suffix -i. Related: Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabian.

"single-masted native vessel used on Arabian Sea," later widely applied to all Arab vessels, 1799, original language and meaning unknown. Klein suggests a relation to Persian dav "running."

1650s, "tutelary spirit," from French génie, from Latin genius (see genius); used in French translation of "Arabian Nights" to render Arabic jinni, singular of jinn, which it accidentally resembled, and attested in English with this sense from 1748.

"thoroughbred Arabian camel," late 13c., from Old French dromedaire and directly from Late Latin dromedarius "kind of camel," from Latin dromas (genitive dromados), from Greek dromas kamelos "running camel," from dromos "a race course," from dramein "to run," from PIE *drem- "to run" (source also of Sanskrit dramati "runs, goes," perhaps also Old English trem "footstep").

A variety of the one-humped Arabian camel bred and trained for use as a saddle-animal, "and comparing with the heavier and slower varieties as a race-horse does with a cart-horse; it is not a different animal zoologically speaking" [Century Dictionary]. An early variant in English was drumbledairy (1560s).

name of a hero in stories from the "Arabian Nights," from Arabic Ala' al Din, literally "height (or nobility) of the faith," from a'la "height" + din "faith, creed." Figurative use often in reference to his magic lamp, by which difficulties are overcome, or his cave full of riches.