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askari

[ as-kuh-ree ]
/ ˈæs kə ri /
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noun, plural as·ka·ris, as·ka·ri.
an African police officer or soldier, especially one serving a colonial administration.
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Origin of askari

First recorded in 1805–10; from Swahili, from Arabic ʿaskarī “soldier,” equivalent to ʿaskar “army” (from Persian lashkar) + a suffix indicating relationship or origin); see origin at lascar
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use askari in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for askari

askari
/ (asˈkaːri) /

noun
(in East Africa) a soldier or policeman

Word Origin for askari

C19: from Arabic: soldier
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
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