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

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Compare meaning

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

• kukri vs. machete

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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

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

They were strolling along quite unconcernedly, laughing and chatting together, with their hands in their pockets and quite unarmed, not even carrying their favourite kukri.

From A Narrative of the Siege of Delhi With an Account of the Mutiny at Ferozepore in 1857 by Charles John Griffiths

Round the waist was a belt from which was suspended in its case a Gurkha's kukri.

From Malcolm Sage, Detective by Herbert George Jenkins

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