Gurkha

American  

[gur-kuh, goor-] / ˈgɜr kə, ˈgʊər- /

noun

Gurkhas, plural Gurkha plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Gurkha
  plural
• Gurkhas
  plural

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

Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier who lives in Britain, reached the peak of the world’s highest mountain last week.

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

Here a friend introduced me to a Jemadar in a Gurkha regiment.

From The Unveiling of Lhasa by Candler, Edmund