mehndi

American  

[men-dee] / ˈmɛn di /

noun

1. the art or practice of painting elaborate patterns on the skin with henna.

2. a design or designs so made.

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mehndi British  

/ ˈmendiː /

noun

1. (esp in India) the practice of painting designs on the hands, feet, etc using henna

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Etymology

Origin of mehndi

First recorded in 1995–2000; from Hindi, from Sanskrit mendhī “henna plant”

Example Sentences

Devanshi Mehta, a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has attended a mock mehndi event at U.C.L.A. for the past two years.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2023

When Aru looked down, the same mehndi map was covering her own skin.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

I helped Safa and Rabia put on their matching yellow frocks for the mehndi.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed

But they didn’t see anything that looked like the mehndi design.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

“If this is where Urvashi’s mehndi map led us, then the first key should be somewhere around here....But why would anyone hide a key to the Kingdom of Death in a strip mall?”

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi