guru

[ goo r-oo, goo-roo ]
/ ˈgʊər u, gʊˈru /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR guru ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Hinduism. a preceptor giving personal religious instruction.
an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.
any person who counsels or advises; mentor: The elder senator was her political guru.
a leader in a particular field: the city's cultural gurus.

Origin of guru

1820–30; < Hindi gurū < Sanskrit guru venerable, weighty

OTHER WORDS FROM guru

gu·ru·ship, noun

Words nearby guru

gurney, gurneyite, gurrier, gurry, gursh, guru, guru granth, guru nanak, guryev, gus, gush

Definition for guru (2 of 2)

Nanak
[ nah-nuh k ]
/ ˈnɑ nək /

noun

Guru,1469–1539, Indian religious leader: founder of Sikhism.

Content related to guru

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Words related to guru

tutor, master, teacher, sage, leader, authority, geek, techie

Example sentences from the Web for guru

British Dictionary definitions for guru (1 of 2)

guru
/ (ˈɡʊruː, ˈɡuːruː) /

noun

a Hindu or Sikh religious teacher or leader, giving personal spiritual guidance to his disciples
often derogatory a leader or chief theoretician of a movement, esp a spiritual or religious cult
often facetious a leading authority in a particular field a cricketing guru

Derived forms of guru

guruship, noun

Word Origin for guru

C17: from Hindi gurū, from Sanskrit guruh weighty

British Dictionary definitions for guru (2 of 2)

Nanak
/ (ˈnaːˌnʌk) /

noun

See Guru Nanak

Cultural definitions for guru

guru
[ (goor-ooh, goo-rooh) ]

In Hinduism, a teacher or spiritual leader.

notes for guru

By extension, a “guru” is a teacher who attracts disciples or followers.