Nair
Americannoun
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Nair,
plural
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Nairs
plural
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a group of Hindu castes in the Kerala region of India.
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a member of any one of these castes.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Nair
1580–85; < Portuguese naire < Malayalam nāyar members of ruling caste < Sanskrit nāya to lead
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Chandhu Nair will join as Target’s first chief AI officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Over its 11 seasons, “Grantchester” has featured three vicars, with the latest and last, Alphy Kottaram, played by Rishi Nair.
From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026
The Dali's technical supervisor, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, also faces criminal charges.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
An Indian national, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, who worked for both companies as technical superintendent for the ship, the M/V Dali, is also named in the indictment unsealed on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
The aroma that fills, as it were, the nostrils of my memory is the sulfurous, protein-dissolving fetor of Nair.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
A mutual friend made the introductions between the Nairs and the Maccionis, and Le Cirque Delhi was born.
From New York Times ● Sep. 28, 2011
The polyandry of the Nairs, on the Malabar coast, has been cited to prove that polyandry is not due to poverty.
From Folkways A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals by William Graham Sumner
The people here are Malabars, of the race of the Nairs of Calicut, who differ much from the other Malabars.
From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 07 by Robert Kerr
As the Marshal moved forward— 'There came against him twenty or thirty Nairs, armed with swords and shields, shouting aloud in their accustomed manner.
From Rulers of India: Albuquerque by Henry Morse Stephens
Calicut, taken by surprise, was easily set on fire; but the Portuguese, having lingered to pillage the Zamorin's palace, were fiercely attacked in rear by the Nairs, who had succeeded in rallying their troops.
From Celebrated Travels and Travellers Part I. The Exploration of the World by Dora Leigh
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