SINCE 1828
mahout
noun
ma·hout
| \ mə-ˈhau̇t
\
\
Definition of mahout
: a keeper and driver of an elephant
Examples of mahout in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of these elephants, who are old and weak, are also sometimes beaten mercilessly by drunk mahouts. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "This elephant-obsessed Indian state is finally stepping in to protect abused captive animals," 13 June 2019 Burmese mahouts are becoming younger and are rotating elephants rather than developing long-term bonds. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 10 May 2019 In elephant polo, the player is positioned on the animal's back, while the mahout sits close to its head. — Ross Kenneth Urken, Town & Country, "Meet the Only All-Female Team at Bangkok’s Storied Elephant Polo Tournament," 6 Apr. 2018 Nelson, a gentle giant named after a prominent local palm oil executive, has a tusk-sized hole in his ear from when a wild male elephant attacked him during one of the clearance operations, making him something of a hero to the squadron’s mahouts. — Jon Emont, New York Times, "Wildlife Detectives Pursue the Case of Dwindling Elephants in Indonesia," 11 Jan. 2018 Directed by his mahout, Rambahadur started to whack the cat with its trunk in an attempt to shoo it back towards the reserve. — The Economist, "A tiger’s taleWhat an Indian tiger’s bid for freedom says about humans and nature," 20 Dec. 2017 On the outskirts of Jaipur’s Pink City, an elephant trudged along a paved highway into town, carrying its mahout – minder – and a huge stack of grain on its flanks. — Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, "6 takeaways from a trip to complex, scenic, colorful India," 11 May 2017 One post was about a temple elephant named Vedakkumnathan Ganapathy who killed his mahout. — National Geographic, "New Film Shows Brutalization of Temple Elephants in India," 25 May 2016 Not long ago, mahouts prodded their working elephants to help push trucks free of muddy quagmires on the road. — Doug Clark, New York Times, "In Myanmar, a Lake That Sustained Generations Feels Strains," 28 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mahout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on mahout
What made you want to look up mahout? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words for Summer: A Quiz
-
- Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share mahout
Resources for mahout