Anglo-Indian. Also 7 cichery, queshery, 8 cutcheree, -ie, kuchurry, 8–9 kutcherry, 9 kutcheri, kucheree. [a. Hindī kachahri, kachērī, hall or chamber of audience, hence, court for administration of business, office, town-house.]
1. An office of administration, a court-house. Also the business office of an indigo-planter, etc.
1610. Hawkins, in Purchas, Pilgrims (1625), I. 439 (Y.). The Cichery or Court of Rolls, where the King’s Viseer sits every morning some three houres.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 261 (Y.). The Royal Exchange or Queshery.
1763. Verelst, in Phil. Trans., LIII. 266. The great Cutcherry there, with brick walls.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. IV. i. 9. The [broker] … fixes upon a habitation, which he calls his cutchery.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, lvii. The prodigious labours of cutcherry.
attrib. 1771. Gentl. Mag., XLI. 403. We had 100 people employed upon the Cutcherry List.
† 2. A division or brigade of infantry. Obs.
1799. Harris, in Owen, Wellesley’s Desp., 119. A cutcherie or Brigade of Infantry was pushed forward.
Cutcherry, obs. var. KEDGEREE (Anglo-Ind.).
