Begum

From - + gum.

Full definition of begum

Verb

1. (transitive) To daub or cover with gum.

From Urdu بیگم and Hindi बेगम (begam, "lady"), from East begüm

"begüm." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2008.

Beg (A provincial governor under the Ottoman Empire, a bey)+ um (feminine suffix for nobility titles)

tr:Nishanyan|begüm

Compare with خانم (hanım).

Noun

1. a high ranking Muslim woman, especially in India and Pakistan
• 1872 , James De Mille , The Cryptogram Chapter , She was the daughter of an English officer, who having fallen in love with an Indian Begum gave up home, country, and friends, and married her.
• 2012, The Economist, Bangladesh: Out of the basket.. toxic politics dominated by the bitter infighting of the “battling begums” (the widow and daughter of former presidents, who lead the two main parties).
2. the form of address for such a woman