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.

Nearby words

Origin of subadar

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for subadar

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
Then spoke up a subadar of the Pioneers, a tall Sikh with his beard curled like the ancient Assyrians.
Leaves from a Field Note-Book|J. H. Morgan
The subadar in command of this advance guard fell dead, and a non-commissioned officer and a sipahee severely wounded.
A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & II|William Sleeman
Looked as if the bloomin' hontray was with the Subadar, but the Hadendowas 'as the honour to hinvite sweet William!
Donovan Pasha And Some People Of Egypt, Complete|Gilbert Parker

I called him Subadar Sahib; just as well to be on the safe side, y'know.
Soldiers Three|Rudyard Kipling

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