English Reference

Word

pasha

US/ˈpɑʃə/

UK/pˈæʃɐ/

Definitions

01Ottoman official

C2

n. a high-ranking officer or governor in the historical Ottoman Empire.

n. a title of high rank in the Ottoman political and military system, traditionally granted to governors, generals, and other dignitaries.

“The pasha ruled over the large province for many years.”

“The sultan appointed a new pasha to oversee the administrative reforms in the eastern territories of the empire.”

Archaic · Formal

Usage

The title was placed after the person's name, such as in 'Enver Pasha'.

Synonyms

governordignitarylord

02butterfly

C2 · Science

n. a type of butterfly found in parts of Asia.

n. a common name for the butterfly Herona marathus, belonging to the family Nymphalidae.

“The collector was excited to find a rare pasha in the jungle.”

“The pasha butterfly is known for its distinctive wing patterns and is primarily found in the forested regions of India.”

Technical

Usage

Usually refers specifically to the species Herona marathus.

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish پاشا (pāšā) (Turkish paşa); this either from Persian پادشاه (pâdšâh, “padishah, king”), or from Ottoman Turkish باش (baş, “head”), or from Ottoman Turkish بچه (beççe, “male offspring”), this in turn from Persian بچّه (bačče). Ottoman Turkish باش (baş, “head”) + آغا (ağa, “master”) has also been proposed as etymon.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference