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mahout

American  
[muh-hout] / məˈhaʊt /

noun

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


mahout British  
/ məˈhaʊt /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of mahout

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

Vocabulary lists containing mahout

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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.

From Reuters • Jun. 21, 2023

Yet he and his keeper, or mahout, Sornsiri "Lek" Sapmak, are in trouble.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2023

It was clear the mahout and his family were incredibly distressed.

From The Guardian • Apr. 19, 2019

Riding a double-decker bus makes you feel like an urban mahout.

From Washington Post • Jul. 9, 2015

There was something diabolical about the mahout, and every time I looked up I found him grinning at me in an attitude of cheerful malice.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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