chaddi

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Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, South Asia/t͡ʃəɖ.ɖiː/Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, South Asia[t͡ʃɐɖ̚.ɖiː]US/ˈt͡ʃʌ.di/

noun

Underwear, shorts, especially knickers.

Similar
swayamsevak
OriginHindi चड्डी ← Punjabi ਚੱਡੀ ← Sanskrit छद्दी →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounchaddi (plural chaddis)

plural chaddis

  1. IndiaUnderwear, shorts, especially knickers.
  2. IndiaMale or female underpants.
  3. IndiaderogatoryslangIndian politicsA member or supporter of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; by extension, a member or supporter of an organisation associated or affliated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
swayamsevak
Also see
bhaktsanghiswayamsevak

Origin

  1. Sanskritछद्दी
  2. Punjabiਚੱਡੀ“underwear”
  3. Hindiचड्डी“underwear”
  4. Englishchaddi

Borrowed from Hindi चड्डी (caḍḍī, “underwear”), or even directly from Punjabi ਚੱਡੀ (caḍḍī, “underwear”) from Sanskrit छद्दी (chaddī), from छद् (chad, “to cover”). The political sense derives from the iconic khaki coloured shorts worn as part of uniform of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which replaced them with brown trousers in the year 2016.

More words from Hindi, Punjabi, Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

chaddi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chaddi

MLA

“chaddi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chaddi. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chaddi,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chaddi.

Source: chaddi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.