caste /kɑːst $ kæst/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Portuguese ; Origin: casta 'race' , from casto 'pure' , from Latin castus ; ⇨ ↑ chaste ]
1 . one of the fixed social classes, which cannot be changed, into which people are born in India:
the caste system
2 . a group of people who have the same position in society