pukka

adj

1. Genuine or authentic; hence of behaviour: correct, socially acceptable or proper.

   “Maha Rajah said it was necessary to witness it to make it pukka; and they said so too, and then signed it.”

   “The measures which resulted in the crushing of the mutiny within the Five Rivers, were unquestionably pukka. […] Pukka and kucha statesmanship are, indeed, two things which time rarely fails to detect, just as it tries the durability of a public building or a bridge.”

   “Mrs. S[mart].— […] Are you not aware, Fanny, that he [Lieut. Marsden] is only Acting-Assistant Sub-Deputy Inspector? Do you imagine that I should give my child to a man whose appointment was not pucka? / F[anny].—But, Mamma, is Mr. Cholmondeley's appointment pucka? / Mrs. S.—How can you talk such nonsense, child? […] Mr. Cholmondeley is a landed gentleman, and draws twelve thousand rupees a month from his estates in Derbyshire, besides holding Government paper to a large amount.”

   “'No one else here?' he said. 'I thought we were going to have a pukka consultation with all the crowd present – decorations, banners, and salute of guns!'”

   “But let's assume it's a real pukka rare bird.”

2. (South-Asia)Constructed as a permanent building, with high-quality materials (especially fired clay bricks and tiles as opposed to unfired mud and thatch).

   “The popular classification of wells is, however, into pukka and kuchcha. Percolation wells are usually pukka or brickbuilt. Spring wells are of three kinds—(1) pukka, where the sub-soil to the spring is sandy, and masonry is necessary througout; […] (3) kuchcha wells, made of clay throughout.”

   “In some cases, the sericulturists avail of credit facility and construct a pukka shed for the silk worms. It is ironical, however, that they have to accommodate themselves and their children in a shabby hut.”

   “The kutcha house made of mud, bamboo, and thatch and its modern replacement the pukka house, constructed of fired bricks, cement, and steel.”

3. (British, slang)Superior or of high quality; first-class; excellent.

   “Mind you, it was a pukka, respectable opium-house, and not one of those stifling, sweltering chandoo-khanas, that you can find all over the City.”