Circassian

noun

Cir·​cas·​sian (ˌ)sər-ˈka-sh(ē-)ən How to pronounce Circassian (audio)
1
: a member of a group of peoples of the northwestern Caucasus
2
: the language of the Circassian peoples
Circassian adjective

Examples of Circassian 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.
One Civil War-era photographer Charles Eisenmann took pictures of performers known as Circassian Beauties, women supposedly from the Caucasus, displaying them as exemplars of pure whiteness. Emmanuel Iduma, ARTnews.com, 16 Sep. 2024 Arab Israelis, whether Muslim, Christian, Druze, Circassian, Bahai, etc. are full citizens, enjoying rights and opportunities that their co-religionists in surrounding lands can only dream of. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 May 2024 Every Israeli over the age of 18 who is Jewish, Druze or Circassian must serve in the military, an institution that is deeply entrenched in many Israelis’ sense of identity and nationhood. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 26 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

Circassia, region of the Caucasus

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Circassian was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near Circassian

Cite this Entry

“Circassian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Circassian. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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