ziggurat
[ zig-oo-rat ]
/ ˈzɪg ʊˌræt /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
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 catalyst, Ziegler's operation, Zielona Góra, ziff, zig, ziggurat, Zigong, Ziguinchor, zigzag, zigzagger, zigzag rule
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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