Khmer

noun

kə-ˈmer 

plural Khmer or Khmers

1

: a member of an aboriginal people of Cambodia

2

: the Mon-Khmer language of the Khmer people that is the official language of Cambodia

Khmer adjective

Examples of Khmer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the 1970s, the area drew Vietnamese refugees escaping war, while the mid- to late 1980s saw the arrival of thousands of Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge. —Regan Stephens, Saveur, 12 Sep. 2024

The restaurant is named for chef Karuna Long’s mother, who survived the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and fled to the US in 1980. —Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 9 Sep. 2024

For dessert, there’s Mango Rice, Jackfruit Rice and Khmer Mochi, filled with mung bean and topped with coconut sauce and Thnot Sugar. —Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2024

Of the nearly 20,000 people sent between 1975 and 1979 to what was known as the S-21 death camp, the Khmer Rouge’s most notorious torture center, only about a dozen survived. —Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

northern or western dialect Khmer khmε:r, a self-designation (standard Khmer khmaε)

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Khmer

• Mon-Khmer

Kids Definition

Khmer

noun

kə-ˈme(ə)r 

: a member of an aboriginal people of Cambodia