Synonyms

howdah

American

[hau-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

Shielded by the howdah curtains sat King Monivong and others of the blood royal whose stern stomachs easily withstood the motion.

From Time Magazine Archive

On the day of the wedding itself, Prince Birendra mounted a silver howdah atop an elephant at the Royal Palace, then led a two-mile procession through the capital.

From Time Magazine Archive

The base of the howdah was a platform on which stood attendants to drive off the flies and fan the air.

From George Alfred Henty The Story of an Active Life by George Manville Fenn

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