Brahmin
[ brah-min ]
/ ˈbrɑ mɪn /
noun, plural Brah·min, Brah·mins.
Hinduism.
Brahman1(def 1).
(especially in New England) a person usually from an old, respected family who, because of wealth and social position, wields considerable social, economic, and political power.
a person who is intellectually or socially aloof.
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of a Brahmin: the Brahmin attitudes of a true aristocrat.
Origin of Brahmin
First recorded in 1475–85; variant of
Brahman1
OTHER WORDS FROM Brahmin
Brah·min·ic [brah-min-ik] /brɑˈmɪn ɪk/, Brah·min·i·cal, adjective non-Brah·min·ic, adjective non-Brah·min·i·cal, adjective un-Brah·min·i·cal, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH Brahmin
Brahman BrahminExample sentences from the Web for brahmins
British Dictionary definitions for brahmins
Brahmin
/ (ˈbrɑːmɪn) /
noun plural -min or -mins
the older spelling of Brahman (def. 1)
(in the US) a highly intelligent or socially exclusive person, esp a member of one of the older New England families
an intellectual or social snob
Derived forms of Brahmin
Brahminic or Brahminical, adjectiveCultural definitions for brahmins
Brahmins
[ (brah-minz) ]
The highest of the four major castes of Hinduism. Brahmins are followers of Brahma and were originally all priests.
notes for Brahmins
The name is often given to socially or culturally privileged
classes, such as “Boston Brahmins.”