kaffir


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Related to kaffir: kaffir lime

Kaf·fir

also kaf·fir  (kăf′ər)
n. pl. Kaffir or Kaf·firs Offensive
1. A Xhosa.
2. Used especially in southern Africa as a disparaging term for a black person.
[Arabic kāfir, infidel (applied to the non-Muslim peoples of southern Africa originally by Muslim merchants and slave-traders operating in the region before the arrival of Europeans); see giaour.]
Usage Note: Because Kaffir is an offensive, disparaging term, many fruits and vegetables whose name traditionally included the word kaffir have been renamed, such as makrut lime for kaffir lime and durra for kaffir corn.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Kaffir

(ˈkæfə) or

Kafir

n, pl -firs or -fir
1. taboo (in southern Africa) any Black African
2. (Islam) offensive (among Muslims) a non-Muslim or infidel
[C19: from Arabic kāfir infidel, from kafara to deny, refuse to believe]
Usage: In South Africa the use of this word is nowadays completely taboo, and is indeed actionable in the courts. It is also advisable not to use the word in any of the compounds to which it gave rise
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Kaf•fir

(ˈkæf ər, ˈkɑ fər)

n., pl. -firs, (esp. collectively) -fir.
usage: Definition 1 is a slur and should be avoided. It is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as highly insulting. It was usually a neutral term in earlier times, but its degree of offensiveness has increased markedly in recent years.
—n.
1. Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. (a contemptuous term used in South Africa to refer to a black person.)
2. (l.c.) kafir (defs. 2, 3).
3. Archaic. Xhosa.
[1780–90; < Arabic kāfir infidel]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.Kaffir - important for human and animal foodkaffir - important for human and animal food; growth habit and stem form similar to Indian corn but having sawtooth-edged leaves
great millet, kaffir corn, kafir corn, Sorghum bicolor
sorghum - economically important Old World tropical cereal grass
2.kaffir - an offensive and insulting term for any Black African
kafir
depreciation - a communication that belittles somebody or something
Republic of South Africa, South Africa - a republic at the southernmost part of Africa; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1910; first European settlers were Dutch (known as Boers)
Black African - an African who is Black
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

Kaffir

[ˈkæfəʳ] N (Kaffirs or Kaffir (pl)) (offensive) → cafre mf
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

Kaffir

n (also pej) → Kaffer m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
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References in classic literature ?
The White Man called a council of his Kaffir servants.
Now he sprang up, huddling on his clothes and as he did so calling to the Kaffirs who slept beneath the wagons.
At last it was done--no easy task, for the numbed hands of the Kaffirs could scarcely loosen the frozen reims.
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I was wrong, and I crept upon a Kaffir on all fours.
Here he kept a retinue of Kaffirs, who were literally his slaves; and hence he would sally, with enormous diamonds in his shirt and on his finger, in the convoy of a prize-fighter of heinous repute, who was not, however, by any means the worst element in the Rosenthall melange.
I don't mean the Kaffirs. I don't believe they ever get to bed at all--poor devils!
With all those Kaffirs about, however, it's ten to one on the whiskey, and a hundred to one against us if we go looking for it.
Rosenthall and Purvis were rushing about outside, cursing the Kaffirs and nagging at each other.
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Macalister was in the Kaffir market and often told them stories of the sudden fortunes that had been made in the great boom of a year or two back.
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They allowed us to retire without firing a shot; and retire you may be sure we did, the Kaffirs flogging their teams in a fury of fear, and our precious corporal sullen but defiant.
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INGREDIENTS: (serves 2) 1/2 onion, peeled; 10 coriander leaves; zest and juice of 1 lime;3/4 red chilli, finely sliced; 4 kaffir lime leaves; 1tsp peeled and peeled and crushed; 1tsp vegetable oil; 400ml tin of coconut milk; 2tsp fish sauce; 1 lemongrass stalk, lightly smashed or cut to release flavour; 1tsp brown sugar; 200g basmati rice; 500 ml water; 1/2 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced; 250g frozen/raw king prawns, defrosted, cleaned and deveined; 150g sugar snap peas, halved METHOD: 1.
prawn to be wild; THAI FRAGRANT COCONUT KING PRAWN CURRY
Add the paste to a heated frying pan or wok with the oil and cook for 20- 30 seconds, then add the coconut milk, fish sauce, the remaining lime zest and two kaffir leaves, the lemongrass and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring regularly.
More Haste for less waste; DELICIOUS RECIPES GET MOST OUT OF WEEK'S-WORTH OF FOOD

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