Gurkha

American  

[gur-kuh, goor-] / ˈgɜr kə, ˈgʊər- /

noun

Gurkhas, plural Gurkha plural

1. a member of a Rajput people, Hindu in religion, who achieved dominion over Nepal in the 18th century.

2. a Nepalese soldier in the British or Indian army.

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Gurkha British  

/ ˈɡɜːkə, ˈɡʊəkɑː /

noun

1. a member of a Hindu people, descended from Brahmins and Rajputs, living chiefly in Nepal, where they achieved dominance after being driven from India by the Muslims

2. a member of this people serving as a soldier in the Indian or British army

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Gurkha
  plural
• Gurkhas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Gurkha

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Gurkha Gurkhas

He was in one with a Gurkha unit, but continued to film.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025

For centuries, Nepali nationals were recruited by the British army to fight as famed Gurkha soldiers and later by India when it gained independence from Britain.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2024

And earlier, Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier who lives in Britain, summited Everest with prosthetic legs.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2023

Magar was born in a remote mountain village in Nepal and later was recruited by the British army as a Gurkha.

From Washington Times ● May 23, 2023

This gallant Gurkha, though badly hit, found a wounded man of the 2nd Leicestershire Regiment behind the first-line German trench, and strove to help him in.

From The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 3 (of 10) by Parrott, James Edward

Chemaf’s founder, Shiraz Virji, son of a Zanzibar spice merchant, once hired dozens of Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers with a reputation for fierceness, to guard one of the company’s mines against incursions by informal miners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

Young Nepali men have long left to fight for the British Army -- the famous Gurkhas -- a tradition that goes back to the late 19th century.

From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026

Tens of thousands of Gurkhas now serve in the Indian army, including in counterinsurgency operations in the Himalayan territory of Kashmir and the northeastern states.

From Reuters ● Aug. 29, 2022

As the Nepalis faced defeat, the British made an offer: Instead of submitting to colonization, the Gurkhas, who had displayed great courage, could serve in the British Army instead.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2022

North of the Seaforths a battalion of the 2nd Gurkhas gave way, and though the 2nd Black Watch managed to close the gap, there was a dint in our line which became a serious danger.

From The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 3 (of 10) From the First Battle of Ypres to the End of the Year 1914 by Parrott, James Edward