Meanings
plural esauls · alternative osaul · alternative yesaul
- historicalThe head of a group or unit of Cossacks.
‘There is no order in the Ukraine: the colonels and the esauls quarrel like dogs: there is no chief over them all.’
1926, Nicolai Gogol, translated by Constance Garnett, A Terrible Revenge2 more examples
Some four months after this event, a smart Yesaul, at the head of a party of Kozaks, on the high road to Nishnei Novogorod perceives a poor fellow resting himself upon a bank.
1833, The Foreign Quarterly Review, volume 11, page 394When Hervey had first learned what was the strength of the garrison, he asked the esaul, the Cossacks' captain. why there was only a squadron (sotnia) of them, two hundred lances […].
2011, Allan Mallinson, On His Majesty's Service, page 122
Origin
- Middle Mongol札撒兀勒
- Ukrainianосаву́л
- Russianесау́л
- Englishesaul
From Russian есау́л (jesaúl), Ukrainian осаву́л (osavúl). Ultimately from Middle Mongol 札撒兀勒 (zhásāwùlè /ǰasa'ul/).
More words from Russian, Ukrainian, Middle Mongol
Full word history & related roots →Translations
German Jessaul, Esaul
- Jessaul(now historical) the head of a group or unit of Cossacks
- Esaul(now historical) the head of a group or unit of Cossacks
Greek γιεσαούλ
- γιεσαούλ (giesaoúl)(now historical) the head of a group or unit of Cossacks
Polish esauł
- esauł(now historical) the head of a group or unit of Cossacks
Russian есау́л
- есау́л (jesaúl)(now historical) the head of a group or unit of Cossacks
Ukrainian осаву́л
- осаву́л (osavúl)(now historical) the head of a group or unit of Cossacks
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
esaul. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esaul
“esaul.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esaul. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “esaul,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esaul.
Source: esaul on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.