chela

¹ American  

[kee-luh] / ˈki lə /

noun

plural

chelae

1. the pincerlike organ or claw terminating certain limbs of crustaceans and arachnids.

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chela ² American  

[chey-lah] / ˈtʃeɪ lɑ /

noun

1. (in India) a disciple of a religious teacher.

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chela ¹ British  

/ kɪˈlɪfərəs, ˈkiːlə /

noun

1. a large pincer-like claw of such arthropods as the crab and scorpion

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chela ² British  

/ ˈtʃeɪlə /

noun

1. Hinduism a disciple of a religious teacher

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Other Word Forms

• chelaship noun
• cheliferous adjective

Etymology

Origin of chela¹

1640–50; < New Latin < Greek chēlḗ claw

Origin of chela²

1825–35; < Hindi celā; compare Pali cellaka monk, Prakrit cilla boy, student

Example Sentences

The drink's name represents maybe the world's best contraction, combining "chela," a slang term for beer; "ada" from "helada," meaning cold; and "mi" for mine — a.k.a "my cold beer."

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2022

From time to time the guru comes to visit his chela or disciple, and on such occasions the chauk or sacred place is prepared with lines of wheat-flour.

From The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India - Volume IV of IV Kumhar-Yemkala by Russell, R. V. (Robert Vane)

Certain things cannot be revealed until the chela, or pupil, is ready.

From Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz by Evans, Robert J.

And as he slowly went out of the city, his chela said to him aside: Master, what was the subject of thy meditation: for I am curious to know?

From Bubbles of the Foam by Bain, F. W. (Francis William)

"I felt as though a sheet of ice had been placed around me to ward off the scorching heat," the chela explained.

From Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda, Paramahansa