gotra

[goh-truh]

noun

a Hindu clan tracing its paternal lineage from a common ancestor, usually a saint or sage.

Origin of gotra

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1875–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for gotra

Historical Examples of gotra

At weddings the Bhainas have a ceremony known as the gotra worship.
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India
R. V. Russell
This was the name of his gotra or gens and roughly corresponds to a surname, being less comprehensive than the clan name Skya.
Hinduism and Buddhism, Vol I. (of 3)
Charles Eliot
(g) Gotra produces the idea of noble and ignoble, as the potter fashions his pots.
The Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha
Madhava Acharya
He mentions also his own proper name and his gotra, which is always the name of some rishi or saint.
Phallic Miscellanies
Hargrave Jennings
Marriage within the section or gotra is prohibited, but first cousins may intermarry.
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India - Volume IV of IV
R.V. Russell