houri

[hoo r-ee, houuh r-ee, hou-uh-ree]

noun, plural hou·ris.

one of the beautiful virgins provided in paradise for all faithful Muslims.

Origin of houri

1730–40; < French < Persian hūrī < Arabic ḥūr plural of ḥaurāʾ gazelle-eyed (woman)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for houris

Historical Examples of houris

By that good lady the Houris are said to be held in deficient esteem.
The Devil's Dictionary
Ambrose Bierce
Abdullah Ben Osman's mouth will be closed by the kisses of houris.
Dreamers of the Ghetto
I. Zangwill
The Houris and the females are exempted from the infirmities of their sex.
The Faith of Islam
Edward Sell
For there is no Saki to do it, either here or with the houris.
Edward FitzGerald and "Posh"
James Blyth
My houris are making progress, and their education is improving.
French and Oriental Love in a Harem
Mario Uchard

British Dictionary definitions for houris

houri

noun plural -ris

(in Muslim belief) any of the nymphs of Paradise
any alluring woman

Word Origin for houri

C18: from French, from Persian hūri, from Arabic hūr, plural of haurā' woman with dark eyes

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 houris

houri

"nymph of Muslim paradise," 1737, from French houri (1650s), from Persian huri "nymph in Paradise," from Arabic haura "to be beautifully dark-eyed," like a gazelle + -i, Persian formative element denoting the singular.