Definition of sepoy in English:
sepoy
noun ˈsiːpɔɪsɪˈpɔɪˈsiˌpɔɪ
historical 1An Indian soldier serving under British or other European orders.
as modifier he could see the sepoy infantry advancing
Example sentencesExamples
- His force was made up of two British regular infantry regiments, the 74th and 78th of Foot, Company sepoys and infantry from Hyderabad.
- Huge armies were created, largely composed of Indian sepoys but with some regular British regiments.
- The only need was for military labour, but even here local soldiers, especially Indian sepoys, were cheap and abundant.
- Sullivan set out at 6 a.m. on January 2, 1819, with a detachment of Europeans and sepoys equipped as if ‘departing for the polar seas’.
- On 10 May 1857, sepoys of the Bengal army shot their British officers and marched on Delhi to restore the aged Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah, to power.
- 1.1 (in South Asia) a police constable.
Origin
From Urdu and Persian sipāhī 'soldier', from sipāh 'army'.