khad·dar ['kä-dər] -n

  1. homespun cotton cloth of India

kha·ki ['ka-kē, 'kä-, Canad often 'kär-] -n, adj

  1. a khaki-colored cloth made usu. of cotton or wool and used esp. for military uniforms
  2. a garment of this cloth
  3. a military uniform usu. used in pl.
  4. a light yellowish brown

Khal·kha ['kal-kə, 'k̲al-k̲ə] -n

  1. a member of a Mongol people of Outer Mongolia
  2. the language of the Khalkha people used as the official language of the country of Mongolia

kham·sin [kam-'sēn] -n

  1. a hot southerly Egyptian wind

khan ['kän also 'kan] -n

  1. a medieval sovereign of China and ruler over the Turkish, Tatar, and Mongol tribes
  2. a local chieftain or man of rank in some countries of central Asia
  3. a caravansary or rest house in some Asian countries

khan·ate ['kä-,nāt also 'ka-] -n

  1. the state or jurisdiction of a khan

khap·ra beetle ['ka-prə-, 'kä-] -n

  1. a dermestid beetle ( Trogoderma granarium) that is native to the Indian subcontinent and is now a serious pest of stored grain in most parts of the world

khat ['kät] -n

  1. a shrub ( Catha edulis) of the staff-tree family cultivated in the Middle East and Africa for its leaves and buds that are the source of a habituating stimulant when chewed or used as a tea
  2. its leaves and buds

khe·dive [kə-'dēv] -n, adj

  1. a ruler of Egypt from 1867 to 1914 governing as a viceroy of the sultan of Turkey

Khmer [kə-'mer] -n, adj

  1. a member of an aboriginal people of Cambodia
  2. the Mon-Khmer language of the Khmer people that is the official language of Cambodia

Khoi·khoi ['kȯi-,kȯi] -n

  1. a member of any of a group of Khoisan-speaking pastoral peoples of southern Africa
  2. the group of Khoisan languages spoken by the Khoikhoi

Khoi·san ['kȯi-,sän, -'sän] -n

  1. a group of African peoples speaking Khoisan languages
  2. a family of African languages comprising principally Khoikhoi and the Bushman languages

khoum ['küm, 'k̲üm] -n

  1. see ouguiya at

Kho·war ['kō-,wär] -n

  1. an Indo-Aryan language of northwest Pakistan

kHz -abbr

  1. kilohertz