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samurai
[ sam-oo-rahy ]
/ ˈsæm ʊˌraɪ /
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noun, plural sam·u·rai.Japanese History.
a member of the hereditary warrior class in feudal Japan.
a retainer of a daimyo.
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Origin of samurai
1720–30; <Japanese, earlier samurafi to serve, equivalent to sa- prefix + morafi watchfully wait (frequentative of mor- to guard)
Words nearby samurai
Samson, samson post, Samsun, Samuel, Samuelson, samurai, samurai bond, San, Sanʿa, San Andreas Fault, San Angelo
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use samurai in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions 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
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