seraglio
[ si-ral-yoh, -rahl- ]
/ sɪˈræl yoʊ, -ˈrɑl- /
noun, plural se·ragl·ios.
the part of a Muslim house or palace in which the wives and concubines are secluded; harem.
a Turkish palace, especially of the sultan.
Also called
se·rail
[suh-rahy, -rahyl, -reyl] /səˈraɪ, -ˈraɪl, -ˈreɪl/.
Origin of seraglio
1575–85; < Italian
serraglio < Persian
sarāy palace; sense development in Italian perhaps influenced by
serrare to lock up
Words nearby seraglio
Example sentences from the Web for seraglio
British Dictionary definitions for seraglio
seraglio
serail (səˈraɪ, -ˈraɪl, -ˈreɪl)
/ (sɛˈrɑːlɪˌəʊ) /
noun plural -raglios or -rails
the harem of a Muslim house or palace
a sultan's palace, esp in the former Turkish empire
the wives and concubines of a Muslim
Word Origin for seraglio
C16: from Italian
serraglio animal cage, from Medieval Latin
serrāculum bolt, from Latin
sera a door bar; associated also with Turkish
seray palace