thug
The origin and history of thug.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hindi thag, "swindler" or "cheat," originally referring to a network of gangs in India who robbed and murdered travelers. The English sense broadened to "violent criminal" by the mid-1800s.
Class of 1800
thug first entered the language around 1800. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1800 →