# askari

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #71,291

## Definitions
1. A member of a local African military or police unit, usually one serving in a European colonial force.

## Etymology
From Swahili askari (“soldier”), from Arabic عَسْكَرِيّ (ʕaskariyy). Doublet of lascar.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/askari