ayatollah /aɪ.əˈtoʊl.ə/ noun2 •A religious leader in Twelverism. •(informal) An authority on any subject.P.S. This writer does NOT speak as the Ayatollah of SM. (There isn't one.) If you really want to know more, talk to sadomasochists, or at least do some reading if you're too scared to ask. — 1983 formsayatollahs