kaffir
In Islamic contexts, a non-MuslimIn Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim.
Translations
2 languagesMeaning
5 senses(countable, offensive)In Islamic contexts, a non-Muslim.
(countable, offensive)A member of the Nguni people of southern Africa, especially a Xhosa.
(Namibia, Rhodesia, South Africa, countable, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slur)A black person.
кафрkafr
More meanings 2
(historical, offensive, uncountable)A language spoken by the Nguni peoples of southern Africa, especially Xhosa.
(countable, historical, slang, uncountable)South African mining shares
- important for human and animal food; growth habit and stem form similar to Indian corn but having sawtooth-edged leaves
- an offensive and insulting term for any Black African
Origin
Ultimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both fUltimately from Arabic كَفَّار (kaffār, “infidel”) or كَافِر (kāfir, “unbeliever”), both from كَفَرَ (kafara, “to cover, to hide”); in some (especially early) uses, via Spanish cafre, Dutch kaffer or other European languages. Doublet of kafir.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: kaffirsSynonyms
4 synonyms- important for human and animal food; growth habit and stem form similar to Indian corn but having sawtooth-edged leaves:great milletSorghum bicolor
- an offensive and insulting term for any Black African:caffercaffre
Lessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.