Gurkha

American  

[gur-kuh, goor-] / ˈgɜr kə, ˈgʊər- /

noun

plural

Gurkhas,

plural

Gurkha

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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Etymology

Origin of Gurkha

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

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

In addition to this, 32,000 famed Gurkha soldiers of Nepal serve in the Indian army under a decades-old special agreement.

From BBC

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

From BBC

He also served as a lieutenant in the Gurkha Rifles, fighting in the Malayan Emergency, a communist-inspired revolt against the British colonial authorities.

From BBC

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