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Sherpa

[ shur-puh ]
/ ˈʃɜr pə /
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noun, plural Sher·pas, (especially collectively) Sher·pa.
a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.
a Tibetic language spoken by the Sherpa.
Sometimes sherpa . an expert chosen by a chief executive to assist in preparations for a summit meeting.
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Origin of Sherpa

First recorded in 1840–50; from Sherpa sharpa, equiavalent to shar “east” + pa “people” (referring to the origin of this people in eastern Tibet)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Sherpa in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Sherpa (1 of 2)

sherpa
/ (ˈʃɜːpə) /

noun
an official who makes preparations for or assists a government representative or important delegate at a summit meeting or conference

Word Origin for sherpa

C20: from Sherpa, a member of a people noted for providing assistance to mountaineers: from a pun on the different senses of summit

British Dictionary definitions for Sherpa (2 of 2)

Sherpa
/ (ˈʃɜːpə) /

noun plural -pas or -pa
a member of a people of Mongolian origin living on the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal, noted as mountaineers
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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