kukri

American  

[kook-ree] / ˈkʊk ri /

noun

1. a large knife having a heavy curved blade that is sharp on the concave side, used by the Napalese Gurkhas for hunting and combat.

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kukri British  

/ ˈkʊkrɪ /

noun

1. a knife with a curved blade that broadens towards the point, esp as used by Gurkhas

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Etymology

Origin of kukri

First recorded in 1805–15, kukri is from the Hindi word kukṛī

Compare meaning

How does kukri compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• kukri vs. machete

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kukri

A kukri is a short sword with an angled blade that originated in South Asia.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 9, 2023

Dermot selected the biggest stem and hacked it down with his kukri.

From The Elephant God by Gordon Casserly

And now the veiled man drew himself rigidly upright again and stepped backward until the fallen kukri lay at his feet.

From The Golden Scorpion by Sax Rohmer

If he is a good shot, and expert with his kukri and kora, so much the better for him. 

From A Journey to Katmandu (the Capital of Napaul), with The Camp of Jung Bahadoor; including A Sketch of the Nepaulese Ambassador at Home by Laurence Oliphant

All the men and some of the women are armed with the kukri, a heavy-bladed weapon or knife of singular shape. 

From A Journey to Katmandu (the Capital of Napaul), with The Camp of Jung Bahadoor; including A Sketch of the Nepaulese Ambassador at Home by Laurence Oliphant