Link Centre Dictionary

Gurkha

uncommon

noun

1.

a member of the Nepalese force that has been part of the British army for 200 years; known for fierceness in combat

2.

a member of Hindu people descended from Brahmins and Rajputs who live in Nepal

Origin

From Nepali गोर्खा (gorkhā, “inhabitant of Gorkha”), from गोरखा (gorakhā)/गोर्खा (gorkhā, “Gorkha District”), from Sanskrit गोरक्ष (gorakṣa, “cowherd”) an epithet of the patron deity Gorakhnath, from गो (go, “cow”) + रक्ष् (rakṣ, “protect”).

Phrases

  • Gurkha knife

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.