Tantra

[ tuhn-truh, tan- ]

/ ˈtʌn trə, ˈtæn- /

Save This Word!

noun

(italics)Hinduism. any of several books of esoteric doctrine regarding rituals, disciplines, meditation, etc., composed in the form of dialogues between Shiva and his Shakti; Agama.

Also called Tan·trism

[tuhn-triz-uhm, tan-]. /ˈtʌn trɪz əm, ˈtæn-/. the philosophy or doctrine of these books, regarding the changing, visible world as the creative dance or play of the Divine Mother and regarding enlightenment as the realization of the essential oneness of one's self and of the visible world with Shiva-Shakti, the Godhead: influential in some schools of Mahayana Buddhism, especially in Tibet.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of Tantra

From Sanskrit

Words nearby Tantra

T antigen, tantivy, tant mieux, tanto, tant pis, Tantra, Tantric, Tantrika, Tantrism, tantrum, Tan-tung

How to use Tantra in a sentence

The musician Sting, a longtime yogi and advocate of Tantra, once claimed he and his wife had “seven hours of sex every night”.
Are Yogasms Real?|Lizzie Crocker|September 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
In Tantra, like in the movie, spiritual union isn't just between man and woman.
The Tantric Sex in Avatar|Asra Q. Nomani|March 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
In Tantra, the goddess Shakti is the primordial deity, her name coming from the Sanskrit word shak, meaning "power."
The Tantric Sex in Avatar|Asra Q. Nomani|March 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
One of the key ingredients of Tantra is the discovery of atman, or true self.
The Tantric Sex in Avatar|Asra Q. Nomani|March 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST

In Tantra, the seventh chakra is the crown chakra, the sahasrara chakra, located at the top of the head.
The Tantric Sex in Avatar|Asra Q. Nomani|March 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
As this was to travel into Japan and be hailed as purest Buddhism, let us note how this tenth century Tantra system grew up.
The Religions of Japan|William Elliot Griffis
But were this the case how does it happen that the Tantra volumes are found only in the possession of Brahmins?
Phallic Miscellanies|Hargrave Jennings
The original meaning of Tantra as applied to literary compositions is a simplified manual.
Hinduism And Buddhism, Volume II. (of 3)|Charles Eliot
As already indicated European usage makes the words Tantra, Tantrism and tantric refer to the worship of goddesses.
Hinduism And Buddhism, Volume II. (of 3)|Charles Eliot
See for some notices of these works A. Avalon's various publications about Tantra.
Hinduism And Buddhism, Volume II. (of 3)|Charles Eliot

British Dictionary definitions for Tantra

Tantra

/ (ˈtæntrə, ˈtʌn-) /

noun

Hinduism Buddhism the sacred books of Tantrism, written between the 7th and 17th centuries ad, mainly in the form of a dialogue between Siva and his wife

Word Origin for Tantra

C18: from Sanskrit: warp, hence underlying principle, from tanoti he weaves

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