palanquin
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of palanquin
1580–90; < Middle French < Dutch pallankin < Portuguese palanquim ≪ Pali pallaṅka, Sanskrit palyaṅka; compare Oriya pālaṅki
Explanation
A palanquin is a covered vehicle without wheels that requires at least four strong people to carry it. Long ago, queens in India were commonly carried around everywhere on palanquins. Another name for a palanquin is a litter. The palanquins that ancient Indian and Chinese royalty used for long trips were often large enough for sleeping and dining in, and were carried by dozens of people. The English palanquin was adopted from the Portuguese palanquim, which in turn can be traced back to the Sanskrit palyanka, meaning "bed or couch."
Vocabulary lists containing palanquin
The Joy Luck Club
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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.
"In India, it's said that the bride enters the husband's home carried on a palanquin and that she leaves only after her death, carried out on a funeral bier," Rao told the BBC.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
He seems to have no desire for the trappings of luxury, eschewing the apparently traditional palanquin for his trips about town and showing little interest in the lavish feasts put in front of him.
From The Verge ● Jan. 13, 2022
I recommend a sedan chair or a palanquin, depending on income level.
From New York Times ● Jan. 8, 2018
Cersei’s is a gilded palanquin carried by servants; Tyrion’s is a crate with scuzzy air holes.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 12, 2015
Walking behind the palanquin so that the crowd took her for one of themselves following the new doctor came a quiet girl.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
