punka

British  

/ ˈpʌŋkə /

noun

1. a fan made of a palm leaf or leaves

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Etymology

Origin of punka

C17: from Hindi pankhā, from Sanskrit paksaka fan, from paksa wing

Example Sentences

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

To and fro the punka flapped; the pulleys creaked and the ropes scraped above the sound of knives and forks and spoons.

From Parrot & Co. by MacGrath, Harold

I read my letter to mamma so far, and she says you won't know what a punka is.

From Harper's Young People, August 3, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various

The function of a punka is to cause a current of air to pass the human body so that the animal heat may escape more rapidly.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 by Various

Looking around you, you find the punka immovable.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 by Various