a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.
a Tibetic language spoken by the Sherpa.
Sometimes sherpa an expert chosen by a chief executive to assist in preparations for a summit meeting.
First recorded in 1840–50; from Sherpa sharpa, equiavalent to shar “east” + pa “people” (referring to the origin of this people in eastern Tibet)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hillary Dawa's family and friends, however, argue that the Sherpa was abandoned.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
"I believe this problem occurred because they took him as a cook but used him as a guide," his longtime friend Pasang Dawa Sherpa told BBC Nepali.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
The Snowdon Sherpa and T10 bus services also run and serve some of the most popular spots.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
As hopes of his survival faded, Dawa Sherpa had slowly been making his way back, and on Thursday he was spotted by a cleaning crew as he slid slowly down the world's tallest mountain.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
Within minutes I was exhausted from the effort and had to sit down to rest, prompting a belly laugh from the Sherpa.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
