Cossack

American  

[kos-ak, -uhk] / ˈkɒs æk, -ək /

noun

1. (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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Cossack British  

/ ˈkɒsæk /

noun

1. (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

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Cossacks

   a Cossack dance

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

Then, down the broad marble staircase of Odessa marches a phalanx of Cossack soldiers.

From The Wall Street Journal

His family are Ukrainian Cossacks – a group renowned as warriors and pioneers of independence in Ukraine.

From BBC

The play dramatizes the story of a Cossack leader in a Ukrainian community almost 400 years ago as he tries to root out witches that local townspeople believe are responsible for a drought.

From New York Times

Aussie Cossack followed up with another post on X with the likeness of a video showing the actual attacker, Cauchi, side by side with a picture of Mr Cohen.

From BBC

Mr Suny points out that the inhabitants of these lands when they were conquered by Russia were neither Russian nor Ukrainian, but Ottoman, Tatar or Cossacks - Slavic peasants who had fled to the frontiers.

From BBC