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sepoy

[ see-poi ]

noun

  1. (formerly, in India) a soldier, usually an infantryman, in the service of Europeans, especially of the British.


sepoy

/ ˈsiːpɔɪ /

noun

  1. (formerly) an Indian soldier in the service of the British
“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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of sepoy1

First recorded in 1675–85, in sense “horseman”; 1710–20 for current sense; variant of sipahi from Urdu, from Persian sipāhī “horseman, soldier,” derivative of sipāh “army”; spahi
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Word History and Origins

Origin of sepoy1

C18: from Portuguese sipaio, from Urdu sipāhī, from Persian: horseman, from sipāh army
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Example Sentences

Kesri is a sepoy, a native soldier in the British East India Company's army.

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