Doukhobor

American  

[doo-koh-bawr] / ˈdu koʊˌbɔr /

noun

1. a member of an independent religious sect originating in Russia in the 18th century, believing in the supreme authority of the inner voice and in the transmigration of souls, rejecting the divinity of Christ and the establishing of churches, and expressing opposition to civil authority by refusing to pay taxes, do military service, etc.

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Doukhobor British  

/ ˈduːkəʊˌbɔː /

noun

1. a member of a Russian sect of Christians that originated in the 18th century. In the late 19th century a large minority emigrated to W Canada, where most Doukhobors now live

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Etymology

Origin of Doukhobor

1875–80; < Russian dukhobór, dukhobórets, Old Russian dukhoborĭtsĭ literally, one who fights against the Holy Ghost, a calque of Late Greek pneumatomáchos (compare Russian dukh spirit, boréts wrestler); originally a derisive term, later adopted by the sect itself

Example Sentences

But the Doukhobor way of life has been buffeted by intermarriage, the allure of city life and a younger generation drawn more to TikTok than Tolstoy.

From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2023

A blaze destroyed precious family artifacts, including correspondence between his great-great-grandfather, a prominent Doukhobor leader, and the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, an early admirer of the Doukhobors’ pacifism and Christian morality.

From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2023

At the Doukhobor Discovery Center in Castlegar, the museum director, Ryan Dutchak, said that some Doukhobors over the past decades had changed their Russian-sounding last names for fear of being ostracized.

From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2023

In a low, barely audible voice the dowdy Doukhobor farm girl told of her friendship with the Russian major.

From Time Magazine Archive

A peep into the ledger of this merchant shows in the list of his plough-buyers Russian names and unpronounceable patronymics of the Finn, the Doukhobor, and the Buckowinian.

From The New North by Cameron, Agnes Deans