Brahman

noun

Brah·​man ˈbrä-mən How to pronounce Brahman (audio)
 sense 2 is  ˈbrā-,
ˈbrä-,
ˈbra-
variants or Brahmin
1
a
: a Hindu of the highest caste traditionally assigned to the priesthood
2
: any of an Indian breed of humped cattle : zebu
especially : a large vigorous heat- and tick-resistant usually silvery-gray animal developed in the southern U.S. from the zebu and now used chiefly for crossbreeding
3
usually Brahmin : a person of high social standing and cultivated intellect and taste
Boston Brahmins
Brahmanic adjective
or Brahmanical

Examples of Brahman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In an English castle, Lady Selwyn, an eccentric, rich widow with a passion for South Asian art carries on a clandestine affair with her personal secretary, a Brahmin who served as aide de camp in Mysore to her late husband. Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2023 Chaudhary is a Brahman, from the Upper Caste categories, and expressed a degree of skepticism about the whole process. Karishma Mehrotra, Washington Post, 7 May 2023 The helicopter swung down to a cluster of Brahman cattle, hovering close enough for the dawn sun to be seen in their eyes. Damien Cave George Steinmetz, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022 In the clustering spreadsheet Zack found that my parents aligned with a Brahmin from trans-Himalaya India and some Indians from Singapore, all notable for clear East Asian ancestry. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 1 Feb. 2012

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Bragman inhabitant of India, from Latin Bracmanus, from Greek Brachman, from Sanskrit brāhmaṇa of the Brahman caste, from brahman Brahman

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of Brahman was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near Brahman

Cite this Entry

“Brahman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Brahman. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Brahman

noun
Brah·​man
variants or Brahmin
1
ˈbräm-ən
: a member of the highest priestly class of Hindu society
2
ˈbrām-ən,
ˈbräm-ən,
ˈbram-ən
: a large silvery gray ox that is resistant to heat and was developed in the U.S. from the zebu

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