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ayatollah ruhollah
[roo-hoh-luh;; persian roo-haw-lah] /ruˈhoʊ lə;; persian ˌru hɔˈlɑ/ (show ipa), 1900?–89, islamic leader of iran 1979–89.
contemporary examples

the ayatollah khomeini famously called the united states the great satan.
david’s book club: darkness at noon david frum august 25, 2012

for pawlenty, evidently, thomas jefferson and the ayatollah khomeini saw government pretty much the same way.
nonsense at cpac peter beinart february 21, 2010

ayatollah khomeini is best known as the stern face of the islamic revolution that took over iran in 1979.
@revolution: taking a page from khomeini’s playbook n-sser weddady, jesse sage june 16, 2009

even when our navy had sunk most of theirs, iran kept fighting, and the iranian people rallied behind ayatollah khomeini.
the last time we fought iran bruce riedel july 5, 2012

there is no ayatollah khomeini or league of extreme islamic clerics leading this opposition.
egypt’s president mubarak plays with fire bruce riedel february 9, 2011

“ayatollah khomeini had a stroke in 1986 and became comatose,” says khalaji.
ayatollah khamenei’s cancer scare iranwire september 19, 2014

you remember foucault—who was one of the best thinkers of his generation—he supported ayatollah khomeini!
the politics of literature: an interview with n-bel laureate mario vargas llosa michael moynihan october 9, 2013

the shah returned to become even more despotic until his own overthrow in 1979 by ayatollah khomeini.
this week’s hot reads: may 23, 2012 nicholas mancusi, malcolm jones, lucas wittmann may 22, 2012

ayatollah khomeini was a profound believer in soft power: say “the truth” and the people would come.
ahmadinejad shows his soft side in u.n. speech reuel marc gerecht september 26, 2012

the first time on feb. 14, 1979, days after the return of the ayatollah khomeini to iran, then finally on nov. 4.
a friend’s tribute to amb-ssador chris stevens: the diplomatic indiana jones roya hakakian september 12, 2012

noun
ruholla (ˈruhɒˈlɑː), known as ayatollah khomeini. 1900–89, iranian shiite muslim religious and political leader. following the overthrow of the shah of iran (1979) he returned from exile and inst-tuted an islamic republic. his rule saw deteriorating relations with the west and war (1980–88) with iraq