Nair

American  

[nahyer, nahy-er] / naɪər, ˈnaɪ ər /

Also Nayer

noun

• Nair,
  plural
• Nairs
  plural

1. a group of Hindu castes in the Kerala region of India.

2. a member of any one of these castes.

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adjective

1. of or relating to this group of castes or their members.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Nair
  plural
• Nairs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of Nair

1580–85; < Portuguese naire < Malayalam nāyar members of ruling caste < Sanskrit nāya to lead

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Nair Nairs

Singapore-based Synergy Marine, its India-based subsidiary Synergy Maritime, and Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair were charged with conspiracy, obstruction, and false statements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

The Dali's technical supervisor, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, also faces criminal charges.

From BBC ● May 12, 2026

An Indian national, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, who worked for both companies as technical superintendent for the ship, the M/V Dali, is also named in the indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

And he didn’t exactly come from nowhere; he’s the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and is open about having been raised in privilege.

From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2026

Taylor’s instincts, honed during countless pageants when the one who claimed to be sweet was the one to put Nair in your shampoo, came crawling up her spine and into her cortex.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

A mutual friend made the introductions between the Nairs and the Maccionis, and Le Cirque Delhi was born.

From New York Times ● Sep. 28, 2011

The polyandry of the Nairs, on the Malabar coast, has been cited to prove that polyandry is not due to poverty.

From Folkways A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals by William Graham Sumner

His body-guard and most of his aristocracy consisted of Nairs and Nestorian Christians, but all commerce was in the hands of the Muhammadan merchants.

From Rulers of India: Albuquerque by Henry Morse Stephens

Calicut, taken by surprise, was easily set on fire; but the Portuguese, having lingered to pillage the Zamorin's palace, were fiercely attacked in rear by the Nairs, who had succeeded in rallying their troops.

From Celebrated Travels and Travellers Part I. The Exploration of the World by Dora Leigh

The author of the "Spirit of Laws" asserts, that in the caste of Nairs, on the coast of Malabar, a man can have only one wife, while a woman may have several husbands.

From A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 10 (of 10) From "The Works of Voltaire - A Contemporary Version" by Fran?ois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

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