n. A native surveyor in British India, trained to carry out clandestine surveillance beyond British borders.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A learned man; a teacher; esp., a Brahman versed in the Sanskrit language, and in the science, laws, and religion of the Hindoos; in Cashmere, any clerk or native official.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A learned Brahman: one versed in the Sanskrit language, and in the science, laws, and religion of India: as, formerly, the Pundits of the supreme court; by extension, any learned man.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field
Word Usage
"My twelve hundred page English Dictionary tells me "pundit" comes from the Hindu 'paydit' which is from the Sanskrit 'paydita', a learned man."