transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈkast also ]
ˈkäst noun
Etymology: Portuguese casta, literally, race, lineage, from feminine of casto pure, chaste, from Latin castus
Date: 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, occupation, or race
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 ˈkas-ˌti-zəm noun