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

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 • Jan. 25, 2024

And earlier, Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier who lives in Britain, summited Everest with prosthetic legs.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2023

Magar was born in a remote mountain village in Nepal and later was recruited by the British army as a Gurkha.

From Washington Times • May 23, 2023

“Gurkha veteran, Hari Budha Magar creates history … as the first ever double above-knee amputee to scale Mt Everest,” the Gurkha Brigade said in a twitter post.

From Reuters • May 21, 2023

There is a reward for any man who brings in a prisoner, so the Gurkha started back across the open towards the British trenches with his captive.

From The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 3 (of 10) From the First Battle of Ypres to the End of the Year 1914 by Parrott, James Edward