sambar
Sambar (noun) means a large deer native to South and Southeast Asia. Example: “A sambar stag with heavy antlers stepped out of the forest at dusk.”
How to use sambar
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a large Asian deer, or a spicy South Indian lentil-and-vegetable stew — two unrelated meanings that just happen to share a name.
Don't assume the two senses (the deer and the dish) are connected — they aren't.
Word forms
sambars plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ stag with heavy antlers stepped out of the forest at dusk.
Etymology
From Hindi sāmbhar, ultimately from a Sanskrit word for a kind of deer — the food dish is an unrelated later use of the same spelling.
Synonyms
View more →Frequently asked questions
What does “sambar” mean?
The word “sambar” means a large deer native to South and Southeast Asia. In plain terms, either a large Asian deer, or a spicy South Indian lentil-and-vegetable stew — two unrelated meanings that just happen to share a name.
How do you use “sambar” in a sentence?
Here is “sambar” used in a sentence: “A sambar stag with heavy antlers stepped out of the forest at dusk.”
What part of speech is “sambar”?
“Sambar” is a noun.
Where does the word “sambar” come from?
The word “sambar” comes from Sanskrit. From Hindi sāmbhar, ultimately from a Sanskrit word for a kind of deer — the food dish is an unrelated later use of the same spelling.
How many meanings does “sambar” have?
“Sambar” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large deer native to South and Southeast Asia.
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