Cossack

[ kos-ak, -uhk ]

/ ˈkɒs æk, -ək /

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noun

(especially in czarist Russia) a person belonging to any of certain groups of Slavs living chiefly in the southern part of Russia in Europe and forming an elite corps of horsemen.

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Origin of Cossack

1590–1600; <Polish kozak or Ukrainian kozák, ultimately < a Turkic word taken to mean “adventurer, freebooter,” adopted as an ethnic name by Turkic tribal groups of the Eurasian steppes

Words nearby Cossack

cosmos, cosmotron, cosplay, cosponsor, coss, Cossack, cossack hat, Cossacks, cosset, cossie, cost

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Cossack in a sentence

As for the Cossack equipment, the early 16th century horsemen between the Dnieper and the Don were typically armed with the lance, saber, and sometimes bow.
Cossacks: The Remarkable Military Settlers of Russia and Ukraine|Dattatreya Mandal|June 16, 2022|Realm of History
Essentially, the Ukrainian Cossack host that roamed and inhabited the region below the Dnieper rapids was called the Zaporozhian Cossacks.
Cossacks: The Remarkable Military Settlers of Russia and Ukraine|Dattatreya Mandal|June 16, 2022|Realm of History
These republics stemmed directly from the 19th century Ukrainian romantic national movement that reassessed the impact of the Cossack past, fuelling the development of an identity centring on a distinct language, culture, and history.
Putin’s Invasion Of Ukraine Attacks Its Distinct History And Reveals His Imperial Instincts|LGBTQ-Editor|February 24, 2022|No Straight News
The decision maker turned out to be a gray-haired Cossack ataman, or commander, in a traditional sheepskin hat.
Held at Gunpoint by Ukraine Rebels|Anna Nemtsova|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Subject has military bearing, short haircut, brought a military uniform or wears the Cossack chevron insignia.
Russia Tells ‘Tourists’ How to Go Fight in Ukraine|Oleg Shynkarenko|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The archetype of the disobedient Cossack who will not stoop to intimidation remains an important part of Ukrainian identity.
Cossacks: The Cowboys of Crimea|Kamil Tchorek|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The ghoul that keeps Putin awake at night is a Ukrainian Cossack.
Cossacks: The Cowboys of Crimea|Kamil Tchorek|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet this was not enough for the Tsars, who saw a risk of the Cossack worldview catching on.
Cossacks: The Cowboys of Crimea|Kamil Tchorek|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To use an expression of M. Gravier's, she was "ugly enough to chase a young Cossack" in 1814.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
He is passionately fond of horses, “me much Cossack” he said, whereupon I proposed a ride.
Polly the Pagan|Isabel Anderson
Another cause may be sought in the Cossack assaults on the Jews at an earlier period.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 4|Various
The Cossack had stepped forward two or three paces and was walking by the next couple.
Condemned as a Nihilist|George Alfred Henty
But she showed no devotion, in which she was not singular, old people and Cossack officers excepted.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXLII. Vol. LV. April, 1844|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Cossack

Cossack

/ (ˈkɒsæk) /

noun

(formerly) any of the free warrior-peasants of chiefly East Slavonic descent who lived in communes, esp in Ukraine, and served as cavalry under the tsars

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of the Cossacksa Cossack dance

Word Origin for Cossack

C16: from Russian kazak vagabond, of Turkic origin

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