ziggurat

[ zig-oo-rat ]
/ ˈzɪg ʊˌræt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR ziggurat ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(among the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians) a temple of Sumerian origin in the form of a pyramidal tower, consisting of a number of stories and having about the outside a broad ascent winding round the structure, presenting the appearance of a series of terraces.

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Also zik·ku·rat, zik·u·rat [zik-oo-rat] /ˈzɪk ʊˌræt/.

Origin of ziggurat

First recorded in 1875–80, ziggurat is from the Akkadian word ziqquratu

Words nearby ziggurat

ziegler's operation, zielona góra, zif, ziff, zig, ziggurat, zigong, ziguinchor, zigzag, zigzag rule, zigzagger
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to ziggurat

hut, house, construction, architecture, home, cupola, turret, spire, minaret, fabric, edifice, domicile, framework, pile, erection, superstructure, belfry, campanile

Example sentences from the Web for ziggurat

British Dictionary definitions for ziggurat

ziggurat

zikkurat or zikurat (ˈzɪkʊˌræt)

/ (ˈzɪɡʊˌræt) /

noun

a type of rectangular temple tower or tiered mound erected by the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians in Mesopotamia. The tower of Babel is thought to be one of these

Word Origin for ziggurat

C19: from Assyrian ziqqurati summit, height
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