naik

noun

na·​ik

ˈnä|ik

variants or less commonly naig

|ig

or naigue

|ˌēg

or naique

|ˌēk

or nayak

|yək

plural -s

1

: a leader, chief, or governor in India

—used as a title of authority or form of address

2

: a native subordinate officer in the British India army

specifically : corporal

Word History

Etymology

Hindi nāyak, from Sanskrit nāyaka, literally, leader, from nayati he leads; akin to Middle Irish nē, nīa warrior, hero, Avestan nayeiti he leads, brings, Hittite nāi- to control, lead

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!