odalisque
Americannoun
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a female slave or concubine in a harem, especially in that of the sultan of Turkey.
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(initial capital letter) any of a number of representations of such a woman or of a similar subject, as by Ingres or Matisse.
noun
Etymology
Origin of odalisque
First recorded in 1675–85; from French, alteration of earlier odalique (with -s- perhaps from -esque -esque ) from Turkish odalιk “female slave, concubine,” equivalent to oda “room, chamber” + -lιk a noun suffix indicating relationship or origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Odalisque on the Terrace, painted in 1922, depicts two figures - one reclining in the sun while another holds a violin.
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
Given that Ellmann includes the full, formal text of the Odalisque Manifesto in the novel's appendix, apparently she does, as well.
From The Guardian • Feb. 15, 2013
This culminates in his big speech, which he turns into a preliminary manifesto of what he calls "the Odalisque Revolution".
From The Guardian • Feb. 15, 2013
Against this background, the travels of Ingres's Odalisque in Gray begin to look peculiar.
From Time Magazine Archive
An Odalisque If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, follow the flock and feed thy kids by the shepherds’ tents.
From Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern by Saltus, Edgar
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
