desai

D2E1S1A1I1

noun

In west and south India, a native official in charge of a district, often held by heredity; a petty chief.

OriginMarathi देसाई ← Gujarati દેસાઈ →
Less commonScrabble 6
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Meanings

desai1

noundesai (plural desais)

plural desais · alternative desaye · alternative dessaye

  1. IndiahistoricalIn west and south India, a native official in charge of a district, often held by heredity; a petty chief.

Desai2

proper nounDesai (plural Desais)

plural Desais

  1. A surname from Gujarati.

Origin

  1. Gujaratiદેસાઈ
  2. Marathiदेसाई“leader of a village”
  3. EnglishDesai

Borrowed from Marathi देसाई (desāī, “leader of a village”), or from Gujarati દેસાઈ (desāī). This surname is mostly found in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

More words from Marathi, Gujarati

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

asideSadieDesiaDaise
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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