- seraglio
- a brothelOriginally, the palace of the Turkish sultan in the Golden Horn, of which a part only was the harem, or secret spot.
How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. R. W. Holder. 2014.
seraglio
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Seraglio — Se*ragl io, n. [It. serraglio, originally, an inclosure of palisades, afterwards also, a palace, seraglio (by confusion with Per. ser[=a][ i]a a palace, an entirely different word), fr. serrare to shut, fr. LL. serra a bar for fastening doors, L … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
seraglio — (n.) harem, also the name of a former palace of the sultan in Istanbul, 1580s, from It. seraglio, alteration of Turk. saray palace, court, from Pers. sara i palace, inn, from Iranian base *thraya to protect (Cf. Avestan thrayeinti they protect ) … Etymology dictionary
seraglio — [si ral′yō, siräl′yō] n. pl. seraglios [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] 1. the part of a… … English World dictionary
Seraglio — Seraglio, 1) so v.w. Bosna 2); 2) italienisch für Serai … Pierer's Universal-Lexikon
seraglio — ► NOUN (pl. seraglios) 1) the women s apartments in a Muslim house or palace. 2) a harem. ORIGIN Italian serraglio, from a Persian word meaning palace … English terms dictionary
Seraglio — See also, Sarayburnu (also known as Seraglio Point). The Gate of a seraglio … Wikipedia
seraglio — noun a) The palace of the Grand Seignior in Constantinople. At these words he started up, and beheld not his Sophia no, nor a Circassian maid richly and elegantly attired for the grand Signiors seraglio. b) The sequestered living quarters used by … Wiktionary
seraglio — (seh RAHL yoh) [Italian: enclosure] The section of a traditional Muslim house where women live in seclusion; a harem. He had marked the founding father’s satirical, if now prescient, reference to critics’ warnings that Americans studying… … Dictionary of foreign words and phrases
seraglio — noun (plural glios) Etymology: Italian serraglio, modification of Turkish saray palace Date: 1581 1. harem 1a 2. a palace of a sultan … New Collegiate Dictionary
seraglio — /si ral yoh, rahl /, n., pl. seraglios. 1. the part of a Muslim house or palace in which the wives and concubines are secluded; harem. 2. a Turkish palace, esp. of the sultan. Also called serail /seuh ruy , ruyl , rayl /. [1575 85; < It serraglio … Universalium
SERAGLIO — in its restricted sense applied in the East to a harem or women s quarters in a royal household; the former residence of the sultan of Turkey, occupies a beautiful site on the E. side of Constantinople, on a projecting piece of land between… … The Nuttall Encyclopaedia
