suttee

American  

[suh-tee, suht-ee] / sʌˈti, ˈsʌt i /

noun

1. sati.

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suttee British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• sutteeism noun

Etymology

Origin of suttee

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.”

From Literature

“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?”

From Literature

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

From 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.

From 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.

From Washington Times