shikha

English

Alternative forms

• sikha

Etymology

From Sanskrit शिखा (śikhā).

Noun

shikha (plural shikhas)

1. (India) The long lock of hair left on the shaved head of an orthodox Hindu, especially a Brahmin or temple priest.
   • 2015, Tridip Suhrud, translating Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi, Sarasvatichandra I, Orient BlackSwan 2015, p. 3:

     Murkhdutt, his hands covered with dough, rushed to the front of his room, craned his neck to look out, tried to arrange his shikha with his wrists, and rubbing his eyes looked in the direction of the gate.

Anagrams

• K'a-shih, Shaikh, shaikh