suttee

[suh-tee, suht-ee]

noun

1. sati.

suttee

/ sʌˈtiː, ˈsʌtiː /

noun

1. the former Hindu custom whereby a widow burnt herself to death on her husband's funeral pyre

2. a Hindu widow who immolated herself in this way

Other Word Forms

• sutteeism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of suttee¹

C18: from Sanskrit satī virtuous woman, from sat good

Example Sentences

“Indeed it was: I had as good a right to die when my time came as he had: but I should bide that time, and not be hurried away in a suttee.”

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“Say, what’re you doing today, anyhow? All dressed up and mooning around like the prologue to a suttee. Did you go to Psychology this morning?”

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As these things are done in Britain—swiftly—Miliband committed suttee this morning, resigning as Labour’s leader.

Read more on The New Yorker

There are “bad traditions that are historical realities such as cannibalism, foot-binding, and suttee, and traditions that … are neither good nor bad - such as trick-or-treating on Halloween,” the ruling says.

Read more on Washington Times

There are “bad traditions that are historical realities such as cannibalism, foot-binding, and suttee, and traditions that from a public-policy standpoint are neither good nor bad - such as trick-or-treating on Halloween,” it said.

Read more on Washington Times