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pukka

American  
[puhk-uh] / ˈpʌk ə /
Or pucka

adjective

Indian English.
  1. genuine, reliable, or good; proper.


pukka British  
/ ˈpʌkə /

adjective

  1. properly or perfectly done, constructed, etc

    a pukka road

  2. genuine

    pukka sahib

"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 pukka

First recorded in 1690–1700, pukka is from the Hindi word pakkā cooked, ripe, mature

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.

Ms Barrie says she grew up in a "pukka Anglo-Indian home", listening to country music stars Merle Haggard and Buck Owens and relishing meat ball curry, coconut rice and devil chutney.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2023

“Your opinion on every subject … is dictated for you by the pukka sahibs code,” in which you too are complicit so that “your whole life is a life of lies.”

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2020

What has happened is that Facebook’s boss has concluded that allowing publishers of news – both pukka and bogus – on to Facebook is more trouble than it is worth.

From The Guardian • Jan. 21, 2018

John Mayer is that insufferable bro — you know, the one who wears a pukka bead necklace, is always shirtless, toting around a guitar at that house party you didn’t want to go to, anyway.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2015

“You can take it from me that she’s all right. She’s a pukka sahib.”

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

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