shikar
Definition
Noun:
- Hunting: "shikar" refers to the activity of hunting, especially in the Indian subcontinent, where it traditionally denotes the pursuit of wild game.
Verb (rare usage):
- To hunt: "shikar" can also be used as a verb meaning to engage in hunting or to pursue game.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- The maharaja organized a grand shikar in the forest. (A large-scale hunting expedition.)
- Many colonial officers took part in shikar for sport. (Hunting for recreation.)
Verb:
- They went to shikar tigers in the jungle. (To hunt tigers in the wild.)
- The villagers shikar only for food, not for trophies. (They hunt for sustenance.)
Advanced Usage
"to go shikar": to set out on a hunting trip.
- The party prepared to go shikar at dawn. (They prepared for a hunting expedition early in the morning.)
"shikar story": a narrative or tale about a hunting experience, often exaggerated for effect.
- He told a thrilling shikar story about a leopard. (An exciting account of a hunting adventure.)
Variants and Related Words
Shikari (n): a hunter; a person who engages in shikar.
- The shikari tracked the animal through the dense brush. (The hunter followed the animal's trail.)
Shikar-khana (n): a hunting lodge or place for storing hunting equipment.
- They stayed overnight at the shikar-khana during the expedition. (The hunting lodge provided shelter.)
Synonyms
- Hunt: the act of pursuing and killing wild animals.
- Chase: the pursuit of game for sport or food.
- Pursuit: the action of following or chasing something.
Phrasal Verbs
- Shikar down: (rare) to hunt and bring down an animal.
- They shikared down a deer for the feast. (They hunted and killed a deer.)
Related Idioms
Shikar for sport: to hunt purely for recreation, not for necessity.
- He shikars for sport, not for survival. (He hunts for enjoyment rather than out of need.)
Shikar trophy: a part of the hunted animal kept as a souvenir, such as antlers or a hide.
- The shikar trophy was mounted on the wall. (The hunting souvenir was displayed.)