punka
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of punka
C17: from Hindi pankhā, from Sanskrit paksaka fan, from paksa wing
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.
Here, for the first time, he saw a punka, or monster fan, worked by a rope, and hung from the ceiling of a room.
From Harper's Young People, May 11, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various
We shall begin by directing our attention to the suspended punka, which is usually hung from the ceiling, and put in movement by a cord.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 by Various
Within five minutes the swinging of the punka and the squeaking of the rope resumed, but regularly this time; Mahommed Gunga had apparently unearthed a man who understood the business.
From Rung Ho! by Mundy, Talbot
Bozerian's Refrigerant Punkas.—A fan worked by the feet, a substitute for the Indian punka.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 by Various
So the punka is seen everywhere—in the temple and court room and other public places, as well as in private dwellings.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 by Various
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.
