Sherpa
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A member of a particular Himalayan ethnic group living in Nepal and Tibet, known especially as mountaineers.
- 2 A local mountain guide or porter, particularly a male of the Nepalese Sherpa people so employed. countable
"Climbers have warned of overcrowding on K2 — the world’s second highest mountain and one of its deadliest — after a sherpa took video of queues snaking towards the summit."
- 3 a member of the Himalayan people living in Nepal and Tibet who are famous for their skill as mountaineers wordnet
- 4 A high-ranking government official who works tirelessly in the background to conclude the text of an official communiqué, typically from a G7 or G20 summit.
"Sherpas from the European Union and 19 countries worked through the week to salvage a meaningful joint statement, culminating in an all-night session on Friday."
- 5 An expert accompanying a high-ranking leader to a summit meeting. countable
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- 6 A synthetic fabric with a long, thick pile, similar to faux fur, imitation lamb wool, or fleece. countable, uncountable
- 1 To serve as a guide or porter for another. rare
- 1 The Southern Tibetan language of these people.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"In a 2016 interview from the Everest basecamp, Dr. Nima Namgyal Sherpa told VOA that in the past, the glacial streams in the mid-Everest region started flowing in May, but the Sherpas now see the flow beginning in April."
Etymology
From Tibetan ཤར་པ། (shar pa, literally “eastern people”), from ཤར (shar, “east”) + པ (pa, nominalizing suffix). The reason for this derivation is unclear, but a common explanation notes that the Sherpas originated in eastern Tibet. The community is based in the Nepalese highlands, however, which is south of Tibet.
From Sherpa. The verb derives from the noun.
Related phrases
More for "sherpa"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.