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Synonyms

kalian

American  
[kahl-yahn] / kɑlˈjɑn /

noun

  1. a Persian tobacco pipe in which the smoke is drawn through water; hookah.


kalian British  
/ kælˈjɑːn /

noun

  1. another name for hookah

"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 kalian

First recorded in 1825–35, kalian is from the Persian word qalyān

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:

One kalian artist who abandoned paint and canvas altogether was Ettore Bugatti.

From Time Magazine Archive

Refreshments and pipes are served at regulated intervals, and the introduction of a third cup of tea or coffee and a third kalian is the signal for the guest to retire.

From Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy) Bird

A servant brought the Khan a handsome kalian to smoke three times.

From Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume I (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy) Bird

While my volunteer cook is thus busily engaged, a company of distinguished travellers passing along the road halt at the tchai-khan to smoke a kalian and drink tea.

From Around the World on a Bicycle - Volume 1 From San Francisco to Teheran by Thomas Stevens

The modus operandi of manipulating the kalian likewise comes in for a slight modification here.

From Around the World on a Bicycle - Volume II From Teheran To Yokohama by Thomas Stevens

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