Brahman

noun

Brah·​man ˈbrä-mən 

 sense 2 is  ˈbrā-,

ˈbrä-,

ˈbra-

variants or Brahmin

1

a

: a Hindu of the highest caste traditionally assigned to the priesthood

b

: brahma entry 1 sense 2

2

: any of an Indian breed of humped cattle : zebu

especially : a large vigorous heat- and tick-resistant usually silvery-gray animal developed in the southern U.S. from the zebu and now used chiefly for crossbreeding

3

usually Brahmin : a person of high social standing and cultivated intellect and taste

Boston Brahmins

Brahmanic

brä-ˈma-nik 

adjective

or Brahmanical

brä-ˈma-ni-kəl 

Examples of Brahman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In an English castle, Lady Selwyn, an eccentric, rich widow with a passion for South Asian art carries on a clandestine affair with her personal secretary, a Brahmin who served as aide de camp in Mysore to her late husband. —Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2023

Chaudhary is a Brahman, from the Upper Caste categories, and expressed a degree of skepticism about the whole process. —Karishma Mehrotra, Washington Post, 7 May 2023

The helicopter swung down to a cluster of Brahman cattle, hovering close enough for the dawn sun to be seen in their eyes. —Damien Cave George Steinmetz, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022

In the clustering spreadsheet Zack found that my parents aligned with a Brahmin from trans-Himalaya India and some Indians from Singapore, all notable for clear East Asian ancestry. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 1 Feb. 2012

Word History

Etymology

Middle English Bragman inhabitant of India, from Latin Bracmanus, from Greek Brachman, from Sanskrit brāhmaṇa of the Brahman caste, from brahman Brahman

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

Brahman

noun

Brah·​man

variants or Brahmin

1

ˈbräm-ən

: a member of the highest priestly class of Hindu society

2

ˈbrām-ən,

ˈbräm-ən,

ˈbram-ən

: a large silvery gray ox that is resistant to heat and was developed in the U.S. from the zebu