izba

American  

[iz-bah] / ɪzˈbɑ /

Or isba

noun

1. the traditional log house of rural Russia, with an unheated entrance room and a single living and sleeping room heated by a clay or brick stove.

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Etymology

Origin of izba

1775–85; < Russian izbá (diminutive istópka ), Old Russian istŭba house, bath, cognate with Serbo-Croatian ìzba small room, shack, Czech jizba room, Old Czech jistba, jizdba, all < Slavic *jĭstŭba ≪ Vulgar Latin *extūfa, with short u perhaps < Germanic *stuba; see stove ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

izba

For as long as an ikon hung in the corner of a Russian izba, Patriarch Sergei would always be right.

From Time Magazine Archive

Icons may still be seen without concealment in many a peasant izba, even in the collective farms.

From Time Magazine Archive

The poor brother became very poor, so poor that very often there was no crust even in the "izba," the peasant's log cabin, and the children—all forlorn, miserable little things—cried for food.

From Folk Tales from the Russian by Various

Round her came swarming countless devils, the izba was full of them!

From Russian Fairy Tales A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore by Ralston, William Ralston Shedden

The icons, the sacred images, are hung in the chief corner, called "The Beautiful," of a Russian izba.

From Russia As Seen and Described by Famous Writers by Singleton, Esther