noun
also spa·hee ˈspäˌhē
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French spahi, from Turkish sipahi, from Persian sipāhī horseman, mounted soldier — more at sepoy
1. : one of a corps of largely irregular Turkish cavalry disbanded after the suppression of the Janissaries in 1826
2. : one of a corps of Algerian native cavalry in the French army normally serving in Africa