spahi
Americannoun
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spahis
plural
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one of a body of Algerian cavalry in the French service.
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(formerly) a cavalryman in the Turkish army.
noun
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(formerly) an irregular cavalryman in the Turkish armed forces
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a member of a body of native Algerian cavalrymen in the French armed forces: disbanded after Algerian independence
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of spahi
First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle French, from Turkish sipahi, from Persian sipāhī; cf. sepoy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As soon as Mole was mounted, the chief spahi gave the word, and the imposing cavalcade set off at a quick trot.
From Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks Book Number Fifteen in the Jack Harkaway Series by Bracebridge Hemyng
The spahi began at Ali's hair and ended with his sandals.
From The Turquoise Cup, and, the Desert by Arthur Cosslett Smith
"Will your horse stand, corporal?" he asked of the spahi.
From The Turquoise Cup, and, the Desert by Arthur Cosslett Smith
Well, it's too early for bed, the spahi soldiers haven't sounded the retreat on their bugles, yet.
From Letters from my Windmill by Alphonse Daudet
I presume that monsieur wishes to see as much of the country as possible," he said; "and I shall be enchanted to place at monsieur's disposal horses, and my servant and a spahi as guides.
From In the Yule-Log Glow, Book I Christmas Tales from 'Round the World by Harrison S. (Harrison Smith) Morris
He stripped off his drab prison clothes, threw them into the water, donned a fresh uniform with the jaunty red cap of the Moroccan spahis.
From Time Magazine Archive
Massu moved in a rock-hard force of 20,000 green- and red-bereted paratroopers, legionnaires and spahis to take over the city of Algiers and its teeming Casbah.
From Time Magazine Archive
"Lord!" said Yanish Pasha, "my spahis will freeze, and will not fight in the morning."
From Pan Michael An Historical Novel of Poland, the Ukraine, and Turkey. by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Above them the commandant and the lawyer could see the heads of the six spahis, they and their horses silent.
From The Turquoise Cup, and, the Desert by Arthur Cosslett Smith
We made a brilliant cavalcade, what with the uniforms of the officers, and the richly embroidered saddles and bright-red burnouses of our attendant spahis.
From In the Yule-Log Glow, Book I Christmas Tales from 'Round the World by Harrison S. (Harrison Smith) Morris
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