coolie
coolie
Definition
coo·lie (ko̵̅o̅′lē)
noun
- an unskilled native laborer, esp. formerly, in India, China, etc.
- a person doing heavy labor for little pay
Etymology: Hindi qulī, hired servant, prob. < kolī, name of a tribe or caste of Gujarat
coolie
Usage Examples
Converse of subject
- lead: Three travelers on the bridge, one on horseback led by a coolie.
Adjective modifier
- Chinese: On the scaffold were approximately 20 Chinese coolies who were painting the side of the ship.
- local: Henry Hsu organized local coolies to help carry the supplies.
- Burmese: Some were occupied by POWs and others by Burmese coolies.
Modifies a noun
- hat: Coolie hats were another popular element of Teddy Girl style.
- camp: It then ran through a coolie camp where also there was cholera.
Noun used with modifier
- rickshaw: There may be a mission for rickshaw coolies, hut there can never be a church for rickshaw coolies.
Browse dictionary entries near coolie
- Coolidge
- coolheaded
- Cooley's anemia
- cooler
- coolant
- cool it
- cool-down
- cool
- cooky
- cookware
- cooling degree day
- cooling-off period
- coolish
- coolly
- coolness
- coolth
- coomb
- coon
- coon cat
- coon's age
