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• Sherpa
  Sherpa

  noun

  a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.
• sherpa
  sherpa

  noun

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

Sherpa

American  

[shur-puh] / ˈʃɜr pə /

noun

Sherpas plural

1. a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.

2. a Tibetic language spoken by the Sherpa.

3. Sometimes sherpa an expert chosen by a chief executive to assist in preparations for a summit meeting.

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Sherpa ¹ British  

/ ˈʃɜːpə /

noun

1. a member of a people of Mongolian origin living on the southern slopes of the Himalayas in Nepal, noted as mountaineers

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sherpa ² British  

/ ˈʃɜːpə /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Sherpa
  plural
• Sherpas
  plural

Etymology

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)

Example Sentences

Thrall passed the guide, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa after famed mountaineer Edmund Hillary.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Dawa Sherpa was last seen above Camp 3, at around 7,500m.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions which was overseeing search efforts, called it a "true self-rescue".

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

"I spoke to the doctors -- he has some frostbite, but otherwise seems okay," Pemba Sherpa added.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Before our group departed Kathmandu, he had sat all of us down and given us an uncommonly stem lecture about the need to show our Sherpa staff gratitude and proper respect.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer