noun
or chet·tie ˈched.ē
( plural chet·tis or chetties -d.ēz ; or chetty·ars -d.ēˌärz)
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: Tamil-Malayalam ceṭṭi, from Sanskrit śreṣṭhin
: a member of a caste of Tamil moneylenders or merchants in southern India, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, Fiji, and So. Africa