Meaning & use
hamal
Last updated
A porter or manual laborer, especially in South Asia or the Middle East.
See it in a sentence
A hamal carried the merchant's crates on his back through the crowded bazaar.
The old hotel still employed a hamal to haul luggage up the narrow stairs.
A note on using this word
The word entered English from Arabic and Urdu/Hindi and is chiefly used in historical or regional contexts describing South Asian and Middle Eastern labor.
Words with a similar meaning
portercoolie
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