Brahmin
/'brɑ:min/ Cách viết khác : (brahman) /'brɑ:mən/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A member of the highest Hindu caste, traditionally priests and scholars: A "brahmin" is a member of the priestly and intellectual class, the highest of the four main social divisions (varnas) in traditional Hindu society.
- A socially or culturally elite person, especially from an established upper-class family: In a figurative sense, especially in American English, a "brahmin" refers to a person considered part of a social, intellectual, or cultural aristocracy.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Hindu caste):
- Noun (Social/cultural elite):
Advanced Usage
- "Boston Brahmin": A specific term for a member of a traditional, influential, and often wealthy upper-class family from New England, particularly Boston.
Variants and Related Words
- Brahman (noun): An alternative spelling for "brahmin," especially when referring to the Hindu caste. It can also refer to a breed of cattle.
- Brahminical (adjective): Relating to brahmins or their practices.
Synonyms
- Highbrow (for the elite sense): An intellectual or culturally sophisticated person.
- Aristocrat (for the elite sense): A member of the highest social class.
- Pandit (for the Hindu sense): A learned person or teacher, often a brahmin.
Notes on Different Meanings
- The primary meaning relates to the Hindu social and religious system.
- The secondary, figurative meaning is primarily used in American English to describe an established elite, disconnected from the original religious context. The two meanings should not be confused.
Noun
- any of several breeds of Indian cattle; especially a large American heat and tick resistant greyish humped breed evolved in the Gulf States by interbreeding Indian cattle and now used chiefly for crossbreeding
- the highest of the four varnas: the priestly or sacerdotal category
- a member of the highest of the four Hindu varnas
- originally all brahmans were priests
- a member of a social and cultural elite (especially a descendant of an old New England family)
- a Boston brahman