Anciently, an Arab; later, a Mussulman; in the Middle Ages, the common term among Christians in Europe for a Mohammedan hostile to the crusaders.
1.a member of one of the nomadic Arabic tribes, esp. of the Syrian desert, that harassed the borders of the Roman Empire in that region; a Muslim, esp. one who opposed the crusades; (later) any Arab; 2. relating to Arabs of either of these periods, regions, or types.