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Definition of coolie in English:

coolie

Translate coolie into Spanish

nounplural noun coolies

dated, offensive

  • An unskilled native laborer in India, China, and some other Asian countries.

Pronunciation

coolie

/ˈko͞olē/ /ˈkuli/

Origin

Mid 17th century from Hindi and Telugu kūlī ‘day laborer’, probably associated with Urdu ḳulī ‘slave’.