thuggee

American

[thuhg-ee, thuh-gee] / ˈθʌg i, θʌˈgi /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

(in India) robbery and strangulation committed by thugs.

thuggee British

/ θʌˈɡiː /

noun

history the methods and practices of the thugs of India

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of thuggee

First recorded in 1830–40, thuggee is from the Hindi word thagī

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.

At first he couldn't even obtain official recognition that the cult, known as Thuggee, really existed.

From Time Magazine Archive

By 1841, the cult of Thuggee had been "practically destroyed."

From Time Magazine Archive

After the capture of Seringapatam in 1799 the attention of the Company's government was drawn to the prevalence of Thuggee.

From Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official by Sleeman, William

By resolution of Government, dated January 10, 1836, the author was appointed General Superintendent of the Operations against Thuggee, with his head-quarters at Jubbulpore.

From Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official by Sleeman, William

The only one left alive of all that numerous party, was an infant four years old, who was afterwards initiated into all the mysteries of Thuggee.

From Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions — Volume 1 by Mackay, Charles

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023