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
His involvement made him, alternatively, friend and foe to an ascendant politician: Reza Shah Pahlavi (then known as Reza Khan), an officer in the Russian-style Persian Cossack Brigade.
—
Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024
In a school classroom, pre-teens eagerly sing traditional Cossack victory anthems before an air-raid siren prompts them to relocate to a bunker where class continues as before — even the kids doing so with an unfazed efficiency that smacks of routine.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 July 2024
Soldiers have been part of its process from the beginning, starting with the label: an ancient Ukrainian soldier — a Cossack — glaring over a handlebar mustache.
—Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times, 8 June 2024
Siberia, for example, was colonized by Russian Cossacks long before western European powers colonized Africa and Asia.
—Mikhail Zygar, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2023
But marital discord wasn’t on offer in the footage shared at CinemaCon, which focused on a snowy conflict between the French and an opposing army (possibly the Cossacks?), who are lured into a trap with bloody consequences.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Apr. 2023
The movie begins with the Mousekewitzes and the Moskowitzes celebrating Hanukkah when Cossacks tear through Shostka in an antisemitic pogrom, together with their animal counterparts — a battery of evil cats.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2023
Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024
In a school classroom, pre-teens eagerly sing traditional Cossack victory anthems before an air-raid siren prompts them to relocate to a bunker where class continues as before — even the kids doing so with an unfazed efficiency that smacks of routine.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 July 2024
Soldiers have been part of its process from the beginning, starting with the label: an ancient Ukrainian soldier — a Cossack — glaring over a handlebar mustache.
—Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times, 8 June 2024
Siberia, for example, was colonized by Russian Cossacks long before western European powers colonized Africa and Asia.
—Mikhail Zygar, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2023
But marital discord wasn’t on offer in the footage shared at CinemaCon, which focused on a snowy conflict between the French and an opposing army (possibly the Cossacks?), who are lured into a trap with bloody consequences.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Apr. 2023
The movie begins with the Mousekewitzes and the Moskowitzes celebrating Hanukkah when Cossacks tear through Shostka in an antisemitic pogrom, together with their animal counterparts — a battery of evil cats.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Cossack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cossack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Cossack. Accessed 1 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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