seraglio

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Translations

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Latin serra: a bar for closing doors, through Italian serai: to shut

An Italian variant of Persian "saray" (سرای) , meaning "palace", "enclosed courts".

[edit] Pronunciation

An Italian-type pronunciation would be something like "se-ra-lyo", but in a poem by Rudyard Kipling the meter shows a 4-syllable phonetic pronunciation "se-rag-li-o".

[edit] Noun

seraglio (plural seraglios)

1. The palace of the Grand Seignior in Constantinople.
2. The sequestered living quarters used by wives and concubines in a Turkish Muslim household.
3. A brothel or place of debauchery.
4. An interior cage or enclosed courtyard for keeping wild beasts.

[edit] Translations