mahout

[muh-hout]

noun

1. the keeper or driver of an elephant, especially in India and the East Indies.

mahout

/ məˈhaʊt /

noun

1. (in India and the East Indies) an elephant driver or keeper

Word History and Origins

Origin of mahout¹

1655–65; < Hindi mahāut, variant of mahāvat; compare Prakrit mahāmatta, Sanskrit mahāmatra elephant driver

Word History and Origins

Origin of mahout¹

C17: Hindi mahāut, from Sanskrit mahāmātra of great measure, originally a title

Example Sentences

Similar charges of negligence have previously been pressed against mahouts whose elephants killed tourists.

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"The documentary's success was a 'moment of national pride' that has brought widespread recognition for the work of mahouts like Bomman and Bellie," they said.

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Several mahouts went to Sri Lanka in advance to accustom the animal to being caged so he wouldn’t panic during the trip to Thailand.

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Several mahouts had been sent beforehand to Sri Lanka to help the elephant feel at ease in a cage so he wouldn’t panic while being transported.

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Perera, who oversees his care, along with a mahout and other staff, said he would probably need hydrotherapy facilities that Sri Lanka lacks to restore full movement.

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