ziggurat

[ zig-oo-rat ]

/ ˈzɪg ʊˌræt /

SEE MORE 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.

Nearby words

ziegler's operation, zielona góra, zif, ziff, zig, ziggurat, zigong, ziguinchor, zigzag, zigzag rule, zigzagger

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ziggurat

The ziggurat was surrounded by an enclosure, some 400 yards square, the ingress and egress to which was by means of bronze gates.
Mesopotamian Archaeology|Percy S. P. Handcock
But the things that took place on the ziggurat were invisible to them.
Istar of Babylon|Margaret Horton Potter
This is the first known mention of the "horns" of a ziggurat, and the exact meaning of the word is doubtful.
The Babylonian Legends of the Creation|British Museum
In the west corner stood a temple, with a stage-tower (ziggurat) adjoining.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 7|Various

The inscribed bricks proved that this chamber, like the ziggurat itself was built by Ur-Engur.
Mesopotamian Archaeology|Percy S. P. Handcock

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