Definitions

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

  • noun A stableman or groom, especially in India.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See sice.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun India A groom.

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

  • noun Alternative spelling of sais.

Etymologies

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

[Hindi sā’is, from Arabic, active participle of sāsa, to tend, manage, perhaps denominative from *sūs, horse, Hebrew sûs.]

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Examples

  • Fortunately the syce was a handy lad, for he not only guided us but held me from tumbling out of the saddle; I don't remember much of the journey except that it lasted for ages, and then we were among trees, with the hooves padding on grass, the syce was shaking my arm, and there ahead was the pavilion, half-hidden by the foliage.

    Fiancée 2010

  • Fortunately the syce was a handy lad, for he not only guided us but held me from tumbling out of the saddle; I don't remember much of the journey except that it lasted for ages, and then we were among trees, with the hooves padding on grass, the syce was shaking my arm, and there ahead was the pavilion, half-hidden by the foliage.

    Flashman In The Great Game Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1975

  • Fortunately the syce was a handy lad, for he not only guided us but held me from tumbling out of the saddle; I don't remember much of the journey except that it lasted for ages, and then we were among trees, with the hooves padding on grass, the syce was shaking my arm, and there ahead was the pavilion, half-hidden by the foliage.

    Flashman In The Great Game Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1975

  • At last one day the princess happened to go on to the roof and looking down at the stables saw and thought she recognised her husband; then she leaned over and listened till she heard his voice and at that she was sure that it was he, so she hastened to the Raja and begged to be allowed to meet her husband, and the Raja sent to call the syce with the name which the princess had given but no one came, for the prince would not reveal himself.

    Folklore of the Santal Parganas Cecil Henry Bompas

  • By jove, I was feeling prime; I dandied myself up in no time, rinsed my face to clear some of the booze away, and was out champing on the verandah as the syce brought my pony round.

    Fiancée 2010

  • I had intended to pass the next day looking about the city, perhaps having a discreet word with Carshore the Collector and the colonel of the sepoys, but as the syce* (* Groom.) was bringing round my pony to the dak-bungalow, up comes Skene in a flurry.

    Fiancée 2010

  • I took a couple of packages from my trunk, stowed them in my saddle-bag, waved to Skene, and trotted off to meet royalty, with only the syce to show me the way.

    Fiancée 2010

  • I must have been drunker than I felt, for it took me three shots to mount, and then, with a wave to Ilderim, who was glowering doubtfully from the verandah, I trotted off, with the syce scrambling up behind.

    Fiancée 2010

  • I didn't want the syce spying, so I slid down and told him to wait, and then I pushed on.

    Fiancée 2010

  • After that, the pony could not, or would not, go; and the Malay syce with difficulty got it along by dragging it, and we had to walk up every hill in the fierce heat of a tropic noon.

    The Golden Chersonese and the way thither Isabella Lucy 2004

Comments

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  • Usage on gharries.

    May 5, 2010

  • "We managed to get the ponies loose in time, and the syce swam the whole lot of them off to the nearest rising ground."

    "The Guests" by Saki, p 119 of The Unrest-Cure and Other Stories (NYRB Edition)

    October 14, 2013