Main Entry:

caste

Pronunciation:

\ˈkast also ˈkäst\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Portuguese casta, literally, race, lineage, from feminine of casto pure, chaste, from Latin castus

Date:

1613

1: one of the hereditary social classes in Hinduism that restrict the occupation of their members and their association with the members of other castes2 a: a division of society based on differences of wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession, occupation, or race b: the position conferred by caste standing : prestige3: a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion4: a specialized form (as the worker of an ant or bee) of a polymorphic social insect that carries out a particular function in the colony

— caste·ism \ˈkas-ˌti-zəm\ noun