howdah

or hou·dah

[ hou-duh ]

/ ˈhaʊ də /

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.

RELATED WORDS

seat, pillion, packsaddle

Nearby words

howard, john winston, howard, roy wilson, howard, sidney coe, howard, sir ebenezer, howbeit, howdah, howdie, howdy, howe, howe'er, howe, edgar watson

Origin of howdah

1765–75; < Hindi haudah < Arabic hawdaj

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

Examples from the Web for howdah

The howdah, pierced all over with arrows, had something the appearance of a porcupine or a giant pincushion.
Female Warriors, Vol. I (of 2)|Ellen C. Clayton
Chilled with the nearness of death, Nelson counted six mail-clad warriors in the howdah.
Astounding Stories, February, 1931|Various
There was no howdah, and it was a difficult feat to sit back of the mahout.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath
He made such tremendous springs, that I thought every moment he must reach the howdah, and select a victim from among us.
With the World's Great Travellers, Volume 2|Various

Without even pausing to think it over Rajah bent his calloused knees, and gratefully Kathlyn crawled back into the howdah.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for howdah

howdah

houdah

/ (ˈhaʊdə) /

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

howdah

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