Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A member of a Rajput ethnic group predominant in Nepal.
  • noun A member of this people serving in the British or Indian armies.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A member of the dominant ethnic group in Nepal, with a Himalayan diaspora
  • noun A member of this people recruited to serve in their own elite units in the British and Indian army
  • adjective referring or belonging to the Gurkha people
  • adjective referring or belonging to a/the Gurkha soldier/units

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a member of the Nepalese force that has been part of the British army for 200 years; known for fierceness in combat
  • noun a member of Hindu people descended from brahmins and Rajputs who live in Nepal

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Nepalese, from Sanskrit gorakṣaḥ, cowherd : Sanskrit gauḥ, cow; see gwou- in Indo-European roots + Sanskrit rakṣati, he protects.]

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Examples

  • Liam Byrne is responsible for the appalling treatment of Mr Tul Bahadur Pun VC, a gurkha hero who was refused permision to enter teh UK as "he had not displayed strong enough ties with the UK" and now another loyal Gurkha, Lance Corporal Rai, who was severely injured in the Falklands has been similarly rebuffed.

    In Praise of Liam Byrne 2007

  • The Gurkha was the 122nd member of British forces to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

    icScotland 2008

  • The Gurkha was the 122nd member of British forces to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

    icScotland 2008

  • The Gurkha was the 122nd member of British forces to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

    icScotland 2008

  • The Gurkha was the 122nd member of British forces to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

    icScotland 2008

  • The Gurkha was the 122nd member of British forces to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

    icScotland 2008

  • The Gurkha was the 122nd member of British forces to be killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001.

    icScotland 2008

  • Colonial powers used ethnic warriors such as Gurkha, or formed a Foreign Legion as the French did, or kept their special units engaged is such wars as secret as Americans did with the Green Berets.

    Israel At War (Cont'd) Galai, Shmuel 2009

  • The country was frequently called the Gorkha Kingdom, the source of the term "Gurkha" used for Nepali soldiers.

    unknown title 2009

  • The country was frequently called the Gorkha Kingdom, the source of the term "Gurkha" used for Nepali soldiers.

    unknown title 2009

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