Nair

American  

[nahyer, nahy-er] / naɪər, ˈnaɪ ər /

Also Nayer

noun

• Nair,
  plural
• Nairs
  plural

1. a group of Hindu castes in the Kerala region of India.

2. a member of any one of these castes.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to this group of castes or their members.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Nair
  plural
• Nairs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Nair

1580–85; < Portuguese naire < Malayalam nāyar members of ruling caste < Sanskrit nāya to lead

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Nair Nairs

Lowe’s executive Chandhu Nair is joining the company as Target’s first chief AI officer, while Target executive Purvi Shah will become senior vice president of user experience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 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

Taylor’s instincts, honed during countless pageants when the one who claimed to be sweet was the one to put Nair in your shampoo, came crawling up her spine and into her cortex.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

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

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

Nairs, Hindus of high caste, claiming to rank next the Brahmans, who lived on the Malabar coast of India; among them polyandry prevailed, and the royal power descended through the female line.

From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by P. Austin Nuttall

The Nairs are described as being the handsomest people in the world; the men being tall, sinewy and extraordinarily agile, while the women are slender and graceful, with perfectly modeled figures.

From Religion and Lust or, The Psychical Correlation of Religious Emotion and Sexual Desire by James Weir

The Nairs of Malabar and the Santal of Chota Nagpur are typical representatives.

From Man, Past and Present by Alfred Court Haddon