Nair

American  

[nahyer, nahy-er] / naɪər, ˈnaɪ ər /

Also Nayer

noun

Nairs plural

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

2. a member of any one of these castes.

---

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Nair
  plural
• Nairs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Nair

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

Example Sentences

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

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

Glanville even tried using Nair, the hair-removal product, to fight the parasite.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

Hello, namaste, buenos dias, and bonjour, Mira Nair!

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon