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seraglio

[ si-ral-yoh, -rahl- ]
/ sɪˈræl yoʊ, -ˈrɑl- /
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noun, plural se·ragl·ios.
the part of a Muslim house or palace in which the wives and concubines are secluded; harem.
a Turkish palace, especially of the sultan.
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Also called se·rail [suh-rahy, -rahyl, -reyl]. /səˈraɪ, -ˈraɪl, -ˈreɪl/.

Origin of seraglio

1575–85; <Italian serraglio<Persian sarāy palace; sense development in Italian perhaps influenced by serrare to lock up

Words nearby seraglio

Sequoia National Park, Sequoya, ser, sera, sérac, seraglio, serai, Serajevo, seral, Seram, Serang
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to seraglio

concubines, purdah, serail, serai, zenana

How to use seraglio in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for seraglio

seraglio

serail (səˈraɪ, -ˈraɪl, -ˈreɪl)

/ (sɛˈrɑːlɪˌəʊ) /
noun plural -raglios or -rails
the harem of a Muslim house or palace
a sultan's palace, esp in the former Turkish empire
the wives and concubines of a Muslim

Word Origin for seraglio

C16: from Italian serraglio animal cage, from Medieval Latin serrāculum bolt, from Latin sera a door bar; associated also with Turkish seray palace
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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