nam·as·kar (n?m??s-kär?)n. A polite or respectful gesture of greeting or farewell widely used among Hindus and made by pressing the palms together at an upward angle in front of the chest and generally accompanied by a slight bow.interj. Used to express a polite or respectful greeting or farewell.[Ultimately (via Hindi, Punjabi, and other South Asian languages) from Sanskrit namask?ra?, act of saying nama? in homage : nama?, namas-, homage, obeisance; see nem- in Indo-European roots + k?ra-, doing, making (from karoti, he makes; see kwer- in Indo-European roots).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.