khmer

the Mon-Khmer language spoken in Cambodia ; a native or inhabitant of Cambodia ;

khmer rouge

a communist organization formed in Cambodia in 1970; became a terrorist organization in 1975 when it captured Phnom Penh and created a government that killed an estimated three million people; was defeated by Vietnamese troops but remained active until 1999 ;

khoikhoi

any of the Khoisan languages spoken by the pastoral people of Namibia and South Africa ;

khoikhoin

any of the Khoisan languages spoken by the pastoral people of Namibia and South Africa ;

khoisan

a family of languages spoken in southern Africa ;

khoisan language

a family of languages spoken in southern Africa ;

khomeini

Iranian religious leader of the Shiites; when Shah Pahlavi's regime fell Khomeini established a new constitution giving himself supreme powers (1900-1989) ;

khoum

5 khoums equal 1 ouguiya in Mauritania ;

khowar

a Dardic language spoken in northwestern Pakistan ;

khrushchev

Soviet statesman and premier who denounced Stalin (1894-1971) ;

khuen

a branch of the Tai languages ;

khufu

Egyptian Pharaoh of the 27th century BC who commissioned the Great Pyramid at Giza ;

khukuri

a curved steel knife with a razor-sharp edge used in combat by the Gurkhas; has cultural and religious significance in Nepal ;

khyber pass

a mountain pass of great strategic and commercial value in the Hindu Kush on the border between northern Pakistan and western Afghanistan; a route by which invaders entered India ;

khz

one thousand periods per second ;

ki

goddess personifying earth; counterpart of Akkadian Aruru ; the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health ;

kia quen

a form of foot torture used by the Chinese in which the victim's foot was placed between three pieces of bamboo and systematically squeezed ;

kiaat

deciduous South African tree having large odd-pinnate leaves and profuse fragrant orange-yellow flowers; yields a red juice and heavy strong durable wood ;

kiang

wild ass of Tibet and Mongolia ;

kibble

an iron bucket used for hoisting in wells or mining ; coarsely ground grain in the form of pellets (as for pet food) ;

kibbutz

a collective farm or settlement owned by its members in modern Israel; children are reared collectively ;

kibbutznik

a member of a kibbutz ;

kibe

ulcerated chilblain on the heel ;

kibitzer

(Yiddish) a meddler who offers unwanted advice to others ;

kichaga

a Bantu language spoken by the Chaga in northern Tanzania ;

kichai

a member of a Caddo people formerly living in north central Texas ;

kick

the act of delivering a blow with the foot; "he gave the ball a powerful kick"; "the team's kicking was excellent" ; a rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics; "the kick must be synchronized with the arm movements"; "the swimmer's kicking left a wake behind him" ; the sudden stimulation provided by strong drink (or certain drugs); "a sidecar is a smooth drink but it has a powerful kick" ; informal terms for objecting; "I have a gripe about the service here" ; the backward jerk of a gun when it is fired ; the swift release of a store of affective force; "they got a great bang out of it"; "what a boot!"; "he got a quick rush from injecting heroin"; "he does it for kicks" ;

kick in the butt

punishment inflicted by kicking the victim in the behind ;

kick pleat

pleat in back of a straight skirt to allow ease in walking ;

kick start

a starter (as on a motorcycle) that is activated with the foot and the weight of the body ;

kick starter

a starter (as on a motorcycle) that is activated with the foot and the weight of the body ;

kick turn

a standing turn made in skiing; one ski is raised to the vertical and pivoted backward to become parallel with the other ski but headed in the opposite direction and then the other ski is aligned with the first ;

kick up

raising the feet backward with the hands on the ground; a first movement in doing a handstand ;

kickapoo

the Algonquian language of the Kickapoo ; a member of the Algonquian people formerly inhabiting southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois ;

kickback

a commercial bribe paid by a seller to a purchasing agent in order to induce the agent to enter into the transaction ;

kicker

a player who kicks the football ;

kicking

the act of delivering a blow with the foot; "he gave the ball a powerful kick"; "the team's kicking was excellent" ; a rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics; "the kick must be synchronized with the arm movements"; "the swimmer's kicking left a wake behind him" ;

kickoff

(football) a kick from the center of the field to start a football game or to resume it after a score ; a start given to contestants; "I was there with my parents at the kickoff" ; the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her" ;

kickshaw

something considered choice to eat ;

kicksorter

scientific instrument consisting of an electronic circuit that permits only voltage pulses of predetermined height to pass ;