[caste] n [Pg casta, lit., race, lineage, fr. fem. of casto pure, chaste, fr. L castus] (1613) 1: one of the hereditary social classes in Hinduism that restrict the occupation of their members and their association with the members of other castes
2. a: a division of society based on differences of wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession, or occupation b: the position conferred by caste standing: prestige
3: a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion
4: a specialized form (as the worker of an ant or bee) of a polymorphic social insect that carries out a particular function in the colony -- caste.ism n