samurai
[ sam-oo-rahy ]
/ ˈsæm ʊˌraɪ /
|
noun, plural sam·u·rai. Japanese History.
a member of the hereditary warrior class in feudal Japan.
a retainer of a daimyo.
RELATED CONTENT
Which Words Did English Take From Other Languages?English—is one of the most incredible, flavorfully-complex melting pots of linguistic ingredients from other countries. These linguistic ingredients are called loanwords that have been borrowed and incorporated into English. The loanwords are oftentimes so common now, the foreign flavor has been completely lost.
Nearby words
- samsun,
- samuel,
- samuelson,
- samuelson, paul a.,
- samuelsson,
- samurai bond,
- san,
- san andreas fault,
- san angelo,
- san anselmo
Origin of samurai
1720–30; < Japanese, earlier samurafi to serve, equivalent to sa- prefix + morafi watchfully wait (frequentative of mor- to guard)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for samurai
samurai
/ (ˈsæmʊˌraɪ, ˈsæmjʊ-) /
noun plural -rai
the Japanese warrior caste that provided the administrative and fighting aristocracy from the 11th to the 19th centuries
a member of this aristocracy
Word Origin for samurai
C19: from Japanese
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
samurai
1727, from Japanese samurai "warrior, knight," originally the military retainer of the daimio, variant of saburai, nominal form of sabura(h)u "to be in attendance, to serve."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper