mahout

noun

ma·​hout mə-ˈhau̇t How to pronounce mahout (audio)
: a keeper and driver of an elephant

Examples of mahout 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.
From the balcony of our 1,000-square-foot family suite, which features wood floors, soaking tubs, and Thai textiles, my kids spot a trio of elephants out for walks with their mahouts near the water. Tanvi Chheda, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024 Accounts of Sabu’s early years suggest his father had been a mahout himself. Hazlitt, 29 Nov. 2023 When CNN Travel anonymously observed the exhibition from above and below the water in November 2021, the elephant entered the pool alone after a word from a mahout. David Luekens, CNN, 21 Dec. 2021 However, past footage appears to show a mahout provoking a swimming elephant to repeatedly dive and surface to entertain the audience. David Luekens, CNN, 21 Dec. 2021 The tiny Laotian mahout atop his enormous elephant sparked dreams of jungle journeys across Southeast Asia. Andrew Nelson, WSJ, 5 June 2020 The mahout was in his thirties and his whole family had worked with elephants. National Geographic, 29 Oct. 2019 Jongjiangam is a mahout—an elephant caretaker and trainer. Kirsten Luce, National Geographic, 29 Oct. 2019 But not everyone mahout in Ban Ta Klang has the privilege of inheritance. Kirsten Luce, National Geographic, 29 Oct. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu mahāwat, mahāut

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mahout was in 1662

Dictionary Entries Near mahout

Cite this Entry

“Mahout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mahout. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on mahout

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!