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”)

Example Sentences

Astrologers consult a national zodiac, palm readers ring pagodas, would-be alchemists attempt to transmute mercury into gold and SIM card companies advertise dial-a-diviners.

From Barron's

Close to the pagoda, we saw Buddhist funeral rituals being held on the street outside a destroyed house.

From BBC

Around the city, the remains of crushed pagodas and golden spires line the streets.

From BBC

But it’s important that the creators of the pagoda lunch box, the thank-you bag, and the pink doughnut box did not try to capture all the profits that they created.

From Los Angeles Times

Then Ms. Mac picked out a respectable cage—okay, not the three-story pagoda I’d had my eye on—but a nice cage.

From Literature

Related Words

• gazebo
• memorial
• shrine
• temple