thug
THəɡ/
noun
noun: thug; plural noun: thugs; noun: Thug
1.
a violent person, especially a criminal.
synonyms: ruffian, hooligan, vandal, hoodlum, gangster, villain, criminal; More
informaltough, bruiser, hardman, goon, heavy, enforcer, hired gun, hood
"one of Capone's thugs"
2.
historical
a member of a religious organization of robbers and assassins in India. Devotees of the goddess Kali, the Thugs waylaid and strangled their victims, usually travelers, in a ritually prescribed manner. They were suppressed by the British in the 1830s.
Origin
Sanskrit- sthagati ‘he covers or conceals'
Pali- thak 'a secret concealment'
Hindi- ṭhag ‘swindler, thief,’ thug 'from 14 the century to early 19th century'
See History Bits for more on thug and deva:
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