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.

RELATED WORDS

seat, pillion, packsaddle

Nearby words

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

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).