houri
Americannoun
noun
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(in Muslim belief) any of the nymphs of Paradise
-
any alluring woman
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of houri
1730–40; < French < Persian hūrī < Arabic ḥūr plural of ḥaurāʾ gazelle-eyed (woman)
Explanation
A houri is an extremely beautiful young woman. In Islam, a houri exists in Paradise as a divine companion for those believers who have died. The houri is an important figure in Islam, appearing several times in the Quran. Though they are described as feminine, they appear as both male and female, acting as companions or guides for faithful Muslims. Houris are often depicted as beautiful young virgins, and this idea has been transferred to European cultures, in which a houri is simply a "voluptuous woman." The Persian root, huri, means "nymph in Paradise," from the Arabic haura, "beautifully dark-eyed."
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.
And for decades, Kate Moss has been imprinted on nearly everyone’s mental screen saver as a languorously gaunt, plump-lipped houri with an expression of cryptic jadedness that recalls one of those umber-eyed Parisian Pierrots.
From New York Times • Sep. 28, 2012
Tom pooh-poohs this project and is much more susceptible to a cocktail houri and budding lady poet named Cynthia Vail, who shows him a few of her lines.
From Time Magazine Archive
Last week Johore rejoiced in a new houri, the shift being directly due to Adolf Hitler's war against England.
From Time Magazine Archive
The dark-eyed houri, with her basket of strawberries, was there as usual; and the old lady led us to a seat under the plane trees, commanding a view of Terapia and the Sultan's kiosk.
From Journal of a Visit to Constantinople and Some of the Greek Islands in the Spring and Summer of 1833 by Auldjo, John
"Besides, she might be a houri from heaven," said Lancelot; "but a houri in a patched print-frock——" He shuddered, and struck a match.
From Merely Mary Ann by Zangwill, Israel
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.
