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yurt

American  
[yoort] / jʊərt /

noun

  1. a tentlike dwelling of the Mongol and Turkic peoples of central Asia, consisting of a cylindrical wall of poles in a lattice arrangement with a conical roof of poles, both covered by felt or skins.


yurt British  
/ jʊət /

noun

  1. a circular tent consisting of a framework of poles covered with felt or skins, used by Mongolian and Turkic nomads of E and central Asia

"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

Etymology

Origin of yurt

First recorded in 1885–90; from Russian yurt, from Turkic; compare Turkish yurt “home, fatherland,” with cognates meaning “abode, dwelling” in all branches of Turkic

Explanation

A yurt is a round, tent-like home. Traditional yurts are portable, lending themselves well to nomadic lifestyles. A yurt's structure is usually provided by flexible wooden framing, covered by furs, felt, or canvas. The word comes from the Russian yurta, from a Turkic root that means "homeland," also literally referring to the imprint a yurt leaves in the ground when it's moved. In various parts of Central Asia, yurts have been common dwellings for thousands of years. In the U.S., where they're often used for camping, their popularity is more recent.

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Vocabulary lists containing yurt

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

This is peptide packing at its hallucinogenic limit, no yurt necessary!

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 1, 2026

I will not lie: Whenever I hear a HOF debate, in any sport, I want to cover myself in a weighted blanket and lie in a very dark room, perhaps in Rodgers’s yurt.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 28, 2026

Farhat’s eco-lodge, with its yurt accommodation surrounded by orchards, looks out onto rows of fresh trenches along the buffer zone.

From BBC Nov. 13, 2024

Several said the traditional Mongolian ger, or round-shaped yurt, was a potent symbol of harmony with the divine — a warm place of family unity, open to the heavens, where strangers are welcome.

From Seattle Times Sep. 2, 2023

But the old man turned and walked into the yurt.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

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