Caste

Pronunciation

• RP enPR: käst, IPA: /kɑːst/
• Homophones: cast, karst
• Rhymes: -ɑːst

Origin

From Portuguese or Spanish casta ("lineage, breed, race"), of uncertain origin. The OED derives it from Portuguese casto ("chaste"), from Latin castus.

Coromines (1987) argues instead for a hypothetical Gothic form *𐌺𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃, cognate with English cast, from Proto-Germanic *kastuz

Full definition of caste

Noun

1. Any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies.
2. A separate and fixed order or class of persons in society who chiefly associate with each other.
• MacaulayThe tinkers then formed an hereditary caste.

Hyponyms

• (hereditary class of India) Brahmin, Kshatriya, Shudra, Vaishya, varna

Anagrams

• sceat
• Stace