kirpan

kir·pan

(kîr-pän′, kûr-)

A ceremonial dagger or sword with a curved blade that all observant Sikhs are required to wear.

[Punjabi kirpān and Hindi kr̥pān, both from Sanskrit kr̥pāṇaḥ, sacrificial knife, dagger; perhaps akin to kalpayati, he distributes, trims, cuts; see skel- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Kirpan

(kɪrˈpɑːn)

(Other Non-Christian Religions) the short sword traditionally carried by Sikhs as a symbol of their religious and cultural loyalty, symbolizing protection for the weak. See also five Ks

[Punjabi kirpān]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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Noun

kirpan - a ceremonial four-inch curved dagger that Sikh men and women are obliged to wear at all times

dagger, sticker - a short knife with a pointed blade used for piercing or stabbing

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References in periodicals archive ?

Summary: New Delhi [India], Aug 22 (ANI): Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa has written to Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) to allow Sikh candidates wearing 'Kirpan' and 'Kara' in the examination to be held on Friday.

Allow Sikh students wearing 'Kirpan' and 'Kara' in examination halls: DSGMC writes to Delhi government

But although it was not the Government's intention, there were fears that the legislation would criminalise Sikhs who possess a larger kirpan, a Sikh sword.

Cermonial Sikh swords will not fall foul of law; City MP praised for helping to shape anti-knife crime Bill

Lavoie said anti-minority sentiment in the province has grown since 2001, when a Sikh boy brought a kirpan -- a ceremonial dagger -- to school.

Proposal to ban hijab, religious clothing, ignites debate in Canada's Quebec

class="MsoNormalAmong those these are prohibiting of Muslims from wearing the hijab (headscarf) or hijab and trousers or full-length Islamic dress (jilbab) in schools, colleges or the workplace forcing Muslims and SDA students to attend Sunday church services, banning Sikh students from carrying a kirpan (a small sword) or wearing a turban, which Akorinos also wear.

Lack of rules on the place of religion in schools exposes them to litigation

The Akali leader Master Tara Singh stood on the stairs of the Punjab Assembly building with a kirpan in his hand and uttered these bellicose words: "We will annihilate Muslims from Punjab".

Jenkins' Deliberations on Communal Conflict with the Leaders of Punjab: 1946-47 (Part I)

PESHAWAR -- The representatives of the Sikh community in a meeting with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa law minister explained the problems they face in carrying their religious symbols around, particularly the curved dagger, kirpan.

Religious obligation: Sikhs resent curbs on carrying kirpan in K-P

The DSGMC has alleged that in the promo and poster, Shah Rukh has been shown in undergarments and wearing the 'Gatka Kirpan' (small dagger), a Sikh religious symbol.

'Zero' lands in legal trouble over hurting sentiments

He wears a turban, carried a kirpan in it and swore on the Guru Granth Sahib before taking to the witness stand.

Why race should not be the focus of grooming cases

Dying, Kaleka draws his kirpan, the small, dull knife that is a ceremonial token among Sikh men; he grabs Page by the leg and starts stabbing him in the leg.

SHOT 15 TIMES: THE BRIAN MURPHY STORY

| A Kirpan, a ceremonial sword that can range in size and can be worn under or over clothing.

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE A SIKH IN WALES? The community's temple in Cardiff has recently been refurbished. Thomas Deacon went to speak to some of its members

Top brass considered that the Kirpan - a holy dagger - posed healthy and safety risks.