See towkay in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nan-hbl",
"3": "頭家",
"t": "boss",
"tr": "thâu-ke"
},
"expansion": "Hokkien 頭家 /头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”)",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "taoke"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of taoke",
"name": "doublet"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Hokkien 頭家 /头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”). Doublet of taoke.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "towkays",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "towkay (plural towkays)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Malaysian English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Singapore English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "63 37",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "61 39",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "63 37",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "63 37",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "46 54",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "53 47",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Hokkien translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "56 44",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Indonesian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "66 34",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Malay translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "50 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "50 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Tagalog translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "51 49",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Tausug translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "56 44",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Thai translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "65 35",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Titles",
"orig": "en:Titles",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
98,
104
]
],
"ref": "1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 352:",
"text": "My own experience would lead me to suggest that the Chinese immigrants should be placed under one Towkay, or head man, who would control those villages under his care.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A business owner; boss (especially a Chinese Malaysian or Chinese Singaporean boss)."
],
"id": "en-towkay-en-noun-0n4lVFD1",
"links": [
[
"business owner",
"business owner"
],
[
"boss",
"boss"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Malaysia, Singapore) A business owner; boss (especially a Chinese Malaysian or Chinese Singaporean boss)."
],
"tags": [
"Malaysia",
"Singapore"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "nan-hbl",
"lang": "Chinese",
"roman": "thâu-ke",
"sense": "business owner",
"tags": [
"Hokkien"
],
"word": "頭家 /头家"
},
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "lǎobǎn",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "老板"
},
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tauke"
},
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tokeh"
},
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tauke"
},
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "tl",
"lang": "Tagalog",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "taoke"
},
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "tsg",
"lang": "Tausug",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tawki"
},
{
"_dis1": "64 36",
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "tâo-gɛ̀ɛ",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "เถ้าแก่"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Malaysian English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Singapore English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "46 54",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "53 47",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Hokkien translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "50 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "50 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Tagalog translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "51 49",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Tausug translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Term of address for a business owner boss."
],
"id": "en-towkay-en-noun-4zPwl9Ki",
"links": [
[
"business owner",
"business owner#English"
],
[
"boss",
"boss#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Malaysia, Singapore) Term of address for a business owner boss."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "taoke"
},
{
"word": "boss"
},
{
"word": "sir"
},
{
"word": "ma'am"
}
],
"tags": [
"Malaysia",
"Singapore"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈt̪au̯.keɪ/"
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈt̪ʰau̯.keɪ/"
}
],
"word": "towkay"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English doublets",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms borrowed from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Hokkien",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Requests for review of French translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with Hokkien translations",
"Terms with Indonesian translations",
"Terms with Malay translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"Terms with Tagalog translations",
"Terms with Tausug translations",
"Terms with Thai translations",
"en:Titles"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nan-hbl",
"3": "頭家",
"t": "boss",
"tr": "thâu-ke"
},
"expansion": "Hokkien 頭家 /头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”)",
"name": "bor"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "taoke"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of taoke",
"name": "doublet"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Hokkien 頭家 /头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”). Doublet of taoke.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "towkays",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "towkay (plural towkays)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"Malaysian English",
"Singapore English"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
98,
104
]
],
"ref": "1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 352:",
"text": "My own experience would lead me to suggest that the Chinese immigrants should be placed under one Towkay, or head man, who would control those villages under his care.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A business owner; boss (especially a Chinese Malaysian or Chinese Singaporean boss)."
],
"links": [
[
"business owner",
"business owner"
],
[
"boss",
"boss"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Malaysia, Singapore) A business owner; boss (especially a Chinese Malaysian or Chinese Singaporean boss)."
],
"tags": [
"Malaysia",
"Singapore"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Malaysian English",
"Singapore English"
],
"glosses": [
"Term of address for a business owner boss."
],
"links": [
[
"business owner",
"business owner#English"
],
[
"boss",
"boss#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(Malaysia, Singapore) Term of address for a business owner boss."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "taoke"
},
{
"word": "boss"
},
{
"word": "sir"
},
{
"word": "ma'am"
}
],
"tags": [
"Malaysia",
"Singapore"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈt̪au̯.keɪ/"
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈt̪ʰau̯.keɪ/"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "nan-hbl",
"lang": "Chinese",
"roman": "thâu-ke",
"sense": "business owner",
"tags": [
"Hokkien"
],
"word": "頭家 /头家"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "lǎobǎn",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "老板"
},
{
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tauke"
},
{
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tokeh"
},
{
"code": "ms",
"lang": "Malay",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tauke"
},
{
"code": "tl",
"lang": "Tagalog",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "taoke"
},
{
"code": "tsg",
"lang": "Tausug",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "tawki"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "tâo-gɛ̀ɛ",
"sense": "business owner",
"word": "เถ้าแก่"
}
],
"word": "towkay"
}
Download raw JSONL data for towkay meaning in English (3.2kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-07-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-07-01 using wiktextract (45c4a21 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.