lakh
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: note: Indic
ipa: /lɑkʰ/
ipa: /lɑk/
ipa: /læk/
rhymes: -ɑːk
rhymes: -æk
homophone: lark (non-rhotic)
homophone: lac
homophone: lack
Forms: form: lakhs
form: lakh
Etymology: Borrowed from Hindustani लाख or لاکھ (lākh), from Sanskrit लक्ष (lakṣa), from लक्ष् (lakṣ, “to mark; to sign; to observe, perceive”), possibly from रक्ष् (rakṣ, “to observe (a duty, law, etc.); to guard, protect”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂lek- (“to protect”).
Senses: examples: text: Since my arriual heere, there vvas ſent vnto this King one of the richeſt preſents that I haue heard to be ſent to any Prince in all my life time: […] the vvhole Preſent vvas vvorth ten of their Leakes, as they call them; a Leak being ten thouſand pound ſterling: the vvhole, a hundred thouſand pounds ſterling.
ref: 1615 September, Thomas Coryat, “[Coryats Letters.] From the Court of the Great Mogul, Resident at the Towne of Asinere in the Eastern India, on Michaelmas Day. Anno 1615.”, in Coryat’s Crudities; […] To which are Now Added, His Letters from India, &c. […], volume III, London: […] W. Cater, […]; J. Wilkie, […]; and E. Easton, […], published 1776, →OCLC, pages 158–159:
text: INprimis, of Rupias Ecbery, thirteene Crou (euery Crou is an hundred Leckes, and euery Leck an hundred thouſand Rupias) or one thouſand three hundred Leckes.
ref: 1625, [Samuel] Purchas, “Captaine William Hawkins, His Relations of the Occurrents which Happened in the Time of His Residence in India, in the County of the Great Mogoll, and of His Departure from thence; Written to the [East India] Company”, in Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 1st part, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, 3rd book, § IIII, page 217:
text: Who has not admired that noble speech of my Lord [Robert] Clive, when reproached on his return from India with making rather too free with jaghires, lakhs, gold mohurs, diamonds, pearls, and what not: "Upon my life," said the hero of Plassy, "when I think of my opportunities, I am surprised I took so little!"
ref: 1857–1858, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “Fortunatus Nimum”, in The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume I, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1858, →OCLC, page 331:
related: word: lac
glosses: One hundred thousand rupees.
examples: text: […] Lake [i.e., Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake] should not have leisure to breathe for a moment, and calamities would fall on lacs of human beings in continued war by the attacks of his army, which would overwhelm like the waves of the sea.
ref: 1804, R[obert] Montgomery Martin, quoting Yashwantrao Holkar, “Section II. European Intercourse—Rise and Growth of British Power.”, in The Indian Empire: […], volume I (History, Topography, Population, Government, Finance, Commerce, and Staple Products), London; New York, N.Y.: The London Printing and Publishing Company, published [1858], →OCLC, page 399, column 2:
text: The Laccadives and Maldives, for instance, meaning literally the "lac of islands" and the "thousand islands," are a series of such atolls; […]
ref: 1878 August, “Contemporary Portraits. New Series.—No. 8. Charles Darwin, F.R.S.”, in The University Magazine: A Literary and Philosophic Review, volume II, London: Hurst & Blackett, […], →OCLC, page 154:
synonyms: word: babillion
word: bajillion
word: bazillion
word: billion
word: bizillion
word: dillion
word: fafillion
word: fucktillion
word: gabillion
word: gadzillion
word: gagillion
word: gajillion
word: gatrillion
word: gazillion
word: gillion
word: godzillion
word: googillion
word: gorillion
word: grillion
word: hojillion
word: jajillion
word: jazillion
word: jillion
word: kabillion
word: kajillion
word: katrillion
word: kazillion
word: killion
word: lakh
word: majillion
word: morbillion
word: nonillion
word: quadrillion
word: quintillion
word: Sagan
word: scrillion
word: skillion
word: squillion
word: umpteen
word: umptillion
word: wazillion
word: zabillion
word: zillion
word: zilliard
word: million
word: trillion
glosses: Often in the plural: an indefinitely large number; a zillion.