mahout

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An elephant trainer, keeper, and driver.
verb
  1. To drive (an elephant or elephants).
  2. To drive elephants.

Pronunciation

/məˈhaʊt/ /məˈhuːt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mahout1.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mahout2.wav /məˈhut/ /məˈhaːʋət̪/

Word forms

mahout mahouts mahouting mahouted

Etymology

PIE word *méǵh₂s The noun is borrowed from Hindustani (Hindi महौत (mahaut)/Urdu مَہَوت (mahaut)), महाउत (mahāut), variants of महावत (mahāvat)/مَہاوَت (mahāvat), from Sanskrit महामात्र (mahāmātra, “elephant keeper; high official; king’s minister”), from महा (mahā, “great”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (“big, great”)) + मात्र (mātra, “measure; quantity”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- (“to measure”)). The verb is derived from the noun.

Synonyms

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