Synonyms

howdah

American

[hou-duh] / ˈhaʊ də /

Or houdah

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.

howdah British

/ ˈhaʊdə /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of howdah

1765–75; < Hindi haudah < Arabic hawdaj

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.

See Examples For:

howdah

Some continue up the side stairs to Lucy’s ornate howdah, which is perched atop the 65-foot-tall elephant and offers stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic City skyline.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2020

Soon he was auctioning off land from the howdah perched atop Lucy, and the “world’s largest elephant” would go on to be visited by the likes of President Woodrow Wilson.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2015

He is frequently seen dressed in fantastic gaud, seated in a brilliant howdah atop a huge elephant, with his sceptre in one hand, and a Rolleiflex camera in the other.

From Time Magazine Archive

Perched atop placid howdah elephants and shaded by parasols, the royal guests lounged lazily in the hot jungle sun.

From Time Magazine Archive

One day, not long afterwards, when out tiger-shooting I was taken suddenly ill and was barely able to remain in the howdah long enough to fire my rifle and bag the tiger.

From Life in an Indian Outpost by Casserly, Gordon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023