British slang, especially military, for Britain or home; sometimes used ironically or with affection.
From Hindi 'bilayati' (foreign/English), adopted by British soldiers serving in India during colonial era, became widespread in WWI as soldiers' nostalgic reference to home.
A Hindi word meaning 'foreign' became British soldiers' pet name for their own country—linguistic irony born from empire, showing how colonizers borrowed colonized languages without realizing it.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.