Cossack

noun

Cos·​sack ˈkä-ˌsak 

-sək

1

: a member of any of a number of autonomous communities drawn from various ethnic and linguistic groups (such as Slavs, Tatars, and Circassians) that formed in Ukraine, southern Russia, the Caucasus Mountains, and Siberia after about 1400 and that were completely incorporated into czarist Russia during the 18th and 19th centuries

2

: a mounted soldier serving in a unit drafted from Cossack communities

Examples of Cossack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This weekend’s choices include a long white jacket with a cape, which is meant to be a modern take on the Cossack. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 14 July 2025

British forces also handed over to Soviet authorities Cossacks who were Soviet citizens but had fought for Germany. — Antony Beevor, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2025

Two years later, they were attacked by Cossacks with whips and pepper spray at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025

Vani Subramanian India, 2025 Cossacks in Exile dir. — Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Polish & Ukrainian kozak, of Turkic origin; akin to Volga Tatar kazak free person

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Cossack

• dibasic

Kids Definition

Cossack

noun

Cos·​sack ˈkäs-ˌak 

-ək

1

: a member of any of the groups that formed in Ukraine, southern Russia, the Caucasus, and Siberia after 1400 and were included in czarist Russia during the 18th and 19th centuries

2

: a mounted soldier serving in a unit drafted from Cossack communities