seraglio

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the secluded living quarters reserved for wives and concubines in a Muslim household; a harem

   Visitors to the palace were not admitted to the seraglio.

2. 2
   noun

   a sultan's palace, especially in the former Ottoman Empire

   The ambassador was escorted through the gates of the sultan's seraglio.

3. 3
   noun

   a luxurious, profligate, or decadent residence of a wealthy person

   The satirist portrayed the tycoon's mansion as a gaudy seraglio.

From Italian serraglio, from Vulgar Latin *serraculum ("bolt, enclosure"), from Late Latin serare ("to lock"), itself from sera ("lock, bolt"). The Italian word's use for an Ottoman palace was reinforced by its resemblance to Turkish saray ("palace"); compare serai and serail.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images