pagoda

American  

[puh-goh-duh] / pəˈgoʊ də /

noun

1. in India, Myanmar (Burma), China, etc., a temple or sacred building, usually a pyramidlike tower and typically having upward-curving roofs over the individual stories.

2. any of several former gold or silver coins of southern India, usually bearing a figure of such a temple, first issued in the late 16th century and later also by British, French, and Dutch traders.

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pagoda British  

/ pəˈɡəʊdə /

noun

1. an Indian or Far Eastern temple, esp a tower, usually pyramidal and having many storeys

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pagoda Cultural  

1. A tower with several different stories, each of which has its own roof. Pagodas are common in eastern Asia and originally served religious purposes as memorials or shrines.

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Other Word Forms

• pagodalike adjective
• subpagoda noun

Etymology

Origin of pagoda

First recorded in 1625–35; from Portuguese pagode “temple,” ultimately from Persian butkada ( but “idol” + kada “temple, dwelling”)

Explanation

A pagoda is a tiered building that rises to a point. Most pagodas have some religious significance and are found in Asia. One particular type of Buddhist or Taoist temple rises in the shape of a pyramid or a rounded pyramid — this is called a pagoda. The word may make you think of China or Japan, and in fact most pagodas are found in those two countries, as well as other parts of Asia, including Cambodia, Nepal, and India. Pagoda comes from the Portuguese pagode, although its origin is uncertain. One possible root is the Tamil word pagavadi, "house belonging to a deity."

Example Sentences

Be sure to end the meal with the banana pagoda, a playful dessert presented in a chocolate box that’s smashed tableside for a bit of theatrical flair.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

But not yet, said the woman sheltering with family under makeshift tents at a Buddhist pagoda in Banteay Meanchey province.

From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025

Gu’s Beijing neighborhood is known for the 13th-century Buddhist temple of the title, whose tall white pagoda is visible far and wide.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2024

Over at Shrubsole, I couldn’t look away from the contemporaneous Chinoiserie “epergne,” a botanically themed silver serving dish whose nine separate floating bowls are surmounted by a pagoda roof topped with a pineapple.

From New York Times • Jan. 18, 2024

Rising triumphantly from the center of the table was a butter pagoda, unusually tall and splendid.

From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz

Related Words

• gazebo
• memorial
• shrine
• temple