Kar·ba·la (kär?b?-l?, kär?b?-lä?) also Ker·be·la (kûr?b?-l?) A city of central Iraq south-southwest of Baghdad. It is a pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims, who visit the tomb of Hussein, grandson of Muhammad.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Karbala (?k??b?l?) or Kerbelan (Placename) a town in central Iraq: the chief holy city of Iraq and centre of Shiah Muslim pilgrimage; burial place of Mohammed’s grandson Husain. Pop: 460 000 (2005 est)Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014