kukri

noun

kuk·​ri ˈku̇-krē How to pronounce kukri (audio)
: a curved short sword with a broad blade used especially by Gurkhas

Examples of kukri in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bhardwaj's Instagram caption identified the snake as a kukri, a type of snake with teeth curved like a Nepali dagger, which is called a kukri. Rasha Aridi, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2021 Federal prosecutors included in the complaint images from body camera footage that purportedly shows Bickford during the attack, striking officers with the knife allegedly used, a kukri. Rob Frehse, CNN, 10 Jan. 2023 On New Year's Eve, Bickford allegedly attacked three New York Police Department officers with an 18-inch kukri knife. Ryan King, Washington Examiner, 11 Jan. 2023 Plus, the kukri, which grows to be just under 3-feet long, typically eats the eggs of birds and other reptiles, but have been known to eat larvae, insects, and rodents, too. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 2 Oct. 2020 During the conversation, police believe, the man started to chase the victim and struck him multiple times with a long bladed weapon called a kukri. Anna Marum, OregonLive.com, 25 Jan. 2018 The kukri is a Nepalese weapon and tool similar to a machete. Anna Marum, OregonLive.com, 25 Jan. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu kukṛī

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kukri was in 1811

Dictionary Entries Near kukri

Cite this Entry

“Kukri.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kukri. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on kukri

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!