askari

[ as-kuh-ree ]
/ ˈæs kə ri /

noun, plural as·ka·ris, as·ka·ri.

a native African police officer or soldier, especially one serving a colonial administration.

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Origin of askari

1885–90; < Swahili < Arabic ʿaskarī soldier, equivalent to ʿaskar army (< Persian lashkar; cf. lascar) + -ī suffix of appurtenance

Words nearby askari

ask out, ask, and it shall be given you, ask-upmark kidney, askance, askarel, askari, askesis, askew, askey, asking bid, asking price
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for askari

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