caravansary

[kar-uh-van-suh-ree]

noun, plural car·a·van·sa·ries.

(in the Near East) an inn, usually with a large courtyard, for the overnight accommodation of caravans.

any large inn or hotel.

Nearby words

Also car·a·van·se·rai

[kar-uh-van-suh-rahy, -rey] /ˌkær əˈvæn səˌraɪ, -ˌreɪ/.

Origin of caravansary

1590–1600; < French caravanserai < Persian kārwānsarāy, equivalent to kārwān caravan + sarāy mansion, inn

Related formscar·a·van·se·ri·al

[kar-uh-van-seer-ee-uh l] /ˌkær ə vænˈsɪər i əl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for caravanserai

Even larger than the city inn is the caravanserai where my pony was stabled; it is more like a barracks than an inn.
An Australian in China|George Ernest Morrison
I have known them make great discoveries during my service in this caravanserai.
The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan|James Morier
In the best chamber of the caravanserai Venetia Corona was sitting, listless in the heat, when her attendant entered.
Under Two Flags|Ouida [Louise de la Ramee]
And in her gaudy bedroom, in the caravanserai that had been her idea of luxury, his wife lay dead.
The Halo|Bettina von Hutten

The chappa khanehs, or post-houses, are often a trifle cleaner than the caravanserai.
Behind the Veil in Persia and Turkish Arabia|M. E. Hume-Griffith

British Dictionary definitions for caravanserai

caravanserai

caravansary (ˌkærəˈvænsərɪ)

noun plural -rais or -ries

(in some Eastern countries esp formerly) a large inn enclosing a courtyard providing accommodation for caravans

Word Origin for caravanserai

C16: from Persian kārwānsarāī caravan inn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for caravanserai

caravanserai

1590s, carvanzara, "Eastern inn (with a large central court) catering to caravans," ultimately from Persian karwan-sarai, from karwan (see caravan) + sara'i "palace, mansion; inn," from Iranian base *thraya- "to protect" (see seraglio).

caravansary

alternative spelling of caravanserai.