sirdar

or sar·dar

[ ser-dahr ]
See synonyms for sirdar on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. (in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) a military chief or leader.

  2. (formerly) the British commander of the Egyptian army.

Origin of sirdar

1
1605–15; <Hindi sardār<Persian

Words Nearby sirdar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sirdar in a sentence

  • The sirdar on his knees before a large pile of finely ground flour was ladling it into a bag with a disused Quaker Oats tin.

    Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 | Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
  • He appears to be seedy, but has been quite hopeless as sirdar down in the base camp and is without authority.

    Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 | Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
  • There was still time to send a message down to the sirdar so as to get up more coolies and supplies and move forward next day.

    Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921 | Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
  • I therefore admitted them, on condition that each sirdar should only be accompanied by a specified number of followers.

    Forty-one years in India | Frederick Sleigh Roberts
  • On the further bank sirdar Sher Ali's troops were located, having with them six guns.

    Forty-one years in India | Frederick Sleigh Roberts

British Dictionary definitions for sirdar

sirdar

/ (ˈsɜːdɑː) /


noun
  1. a general or military leader in Pakistan and India

  2. (formerly) the title of the British commander in chief of the Egyptian Army

  1. a variant spelling of sardar

Origin of sirdar

1
from Hindi sardār, from Persian, from sar head + dār possession

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012