subadar

or su·bah·dar

[soo-buh-dahr]

noun (formerly, in India)

a provincial governor of the Mogul empire.
the chief native officer of a company of native troops in the British Indian Service.

Origin of subadar

1665–75; < Urdu < Persian, equivalent to ṣūba province + dār holding, holder

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Examples from the Web for subadar

Historical Examples of subadar

A mule was luckily found, and the subadar was sent to the rear.
Through Three Campaigns
G. A. Henty
Turning to the Waziri subadar he continued: “Ahmed Khan is thy name?”
The Disputed V.C.
Frederick P. Gibbon
I called him Subadar Sahib; just as well to be on the safe side, y'know.
Soldiers Three
Rudyard Kipling
Mr. Kennedy was wounded, and a Subadar and some men of the Guides killed.
Twelve Years of a Soldier's Life in India
W. S. R. Hodson
The subadar major stuck to Lieutenant Cassells, and it is to him the lieutenant owes his life.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for subadar

subadar

subahdar

noun

(formerly) the chief native officer of a company of Indian soldiers in the British serviceAlso called: subah

Word Origin for subadar

C17: via Urdu from Persian, from sūba province + -dār holding

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