seraglio Hear it!

seraglio definition

se·ra·glio (si ral′yō, -räl′-)

noun pl. seraglios -·glios

  1. the part of a Muslim household where wives or concubines live; harem
  2. the palace of a Turkish sultan

Etymology: It serraglio, enclosure, padlock, also (infl. by Turk saray, palace: see serai), place, seraglio < ML serraculum, a bolt, bar < LL serare, to lock, bar < L sera, a bolt, lock

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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seraglio (or, how a palace turned into a hut)35 years ago

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