punkah

[ puhng-kuh ]

/ ˈpʌŋ kə /

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noun

(especially in India) a fan, especially a large, swinging, screenlike fan hung from the ceiling and moved by a servant or by machinery.

adjective

of, pertaining to, used on, or working a punkah: punkah ropes.

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Origin of punkah

First recorded in 1615–25, punkah is from the Hindi word paṅkhā

During meal-times, a large punkah is employed to diffuse an agreeable degree of coolness through the apartment.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
Even the private soldier Page 410in Singapore has a punkah pulled over his bed at night.
A Voyage in the 'Sunbeam'|Annie Allnut Brassey
The carpenter has rigged up a punkah, and the men have improvised some double awnings.
A Voyage in the 'Sunbeam'|Annie Allnut Brassey
In spite of the exertions of the punkah coolie, the billiard-room of the Occidental Hotel was like the furnace-doors of Sheol.
The Beautiful White Devil|Guy Boothby

Inside, the droning whine of the punkah mocks him throughout the weary day, as it scarcely stirs the heated air.
Life in an Indian Outpost|Gordon Casserly