Hindustani

or Hin·doo·sta·ni

[ hin-doo-stah-nee, -stan-ee ]
/ ˌhɪn dʊˈstɑ ni, -ˈstæn i /

noun

a standard language and lingua franca of northern India based on a dialect of Western Hindi spoken around Delhi. Abbreviation: HindCompare Hindi (def. 2), Urdu.

adjective

of or relating to Hindustan, its people, or their languages.

QUIZZES

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Visualize yourself passing this quiz on words from Jacqueline Woodson’s exquisite verse novel “Brown Girl Dreaming,” and then take the quiz to prove you can do it! (Because you can.)
Question 1 of 10
What does “barren” mean?
a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.
Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.
unproductive; unfruitful
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Also Hin·do·sta·ni [hin-doh-stah-nee, -stan-ee] /ˌhɪn doʊˈstɑ ni, -ˈstæn i/ .

Origin of Hindustani

1610–20; <Hindi, Urdu <Persian, equivalent to Hindūstān region of the Indus, Sind (HindūHindu + stān country) + -ī suffix of appurtenance

Words nearby Hindustani

Hinduism, Hinduize, Hindu Kush, Hindus, Hindustan, Hindustani, Hindutva, hindward, hindwater, hind wing, Hines
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Hindustani

British Dictionary definitions for Hindustani

Hindustani

Hindoostani Hindostani (ˌhɪndəʊˈstɑːnɪ)

/ (ˌhɪndʊˈstɑːnɪ) /

noun

the dialect of Hindi spoken in Delhi: used as a lingua franca throughout India
a group of languages or dialects consisting of all spoken forms of Hindi and Urdu considered together

adjective

of or relating to these languages or Hindustan
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012