lascar
UK /ˈlaskə/ · US /ˈlæskɚ/ noun
Forms lascars lashkar laskar
- noun (now chiefly historical) A sailor from India or Southeast Asia, especially as serving on a European ship.
- noun (Anglo-Indian) A tent-pitcher; also a type of artilleryman.
- noun Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genera Pantoporia and Lasippa.
Etymology
From Hindustani لشکر / लश्कर (laśkar), from Persian لشکر (laškar). Doublet of askari.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A native sailor, employed in European vessels; also, a menial employed about arsenals, camps, camps, etc.; a camp follower. [East Indies]
Etymology [Per. & Hind. lashkar an army, an inferior artillery man, a cooly, a native sailor.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lascar”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details