howdah

or hou·dah

[hou-duh]

See more synonyms for howdah on Thesaurus.com

noun

(in the East Indies) a seat or platform for one or more persons, commonly with a railing and a canopy, placed on the back of an elephant.

Origin of howdah

1765–75; < Hindi haudah < Arabic hawdaj

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

Related Words for howdah

seat, pillion, howdah, packsaddle

Examples from the Web for howdah

Historical Examples of howdah

He enters the howdah—the elephant rises—the procession starts.
For Love of the King
Oscar Wilde
One of the great pleasures or curiosities was a ride on his back in a howdah.
A Little Girl of Long Ago
Amanda Millie Douglas
Do you think the first tiger I see will get into my howdah and maul me?
Gil the Gunner
George Manville Fenn
He had no howdah, as that is not necessary, except for ladies.
A Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of India
Charles Acland
I was not in a howdah, but on a pad; and the tiger struck one of its forepaws on my knee.
The Lost Heir
G. A. Henty

British Dictionary definitions for howdah

howdah

houdah

noun

a seat for riding on an elephant's back, esp one with a canopy

Word Origin for howdah

C18: from Hindi haudah, from Arabic haudaj load carried by elephant or camel

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 howdah

1774, from Persian and Urdu haudah, from Arabic haudaj "litter carried by a camel" (or elephant).