Word
pagoda
Phoneticspago·da
US/pəˈɡoʊdə/
UK/pæɡˈəʊdɐ/
Definition
n. a tall, tiered tower with a curved roof, often found in Asian temples. It is usually built to hold religious objects or as a place for meditation.
n. a tiered tower with multiple eaves, typically found in East Asian architecture. Often serves as a temple or a place for religious practice.
Examples
“The pagoda stands tall in the center of the garden.”
“The monks gathered in the pagoda to perform a morning meditation before the sun rose.”
“The intricate wooden carvings on the pagoda's upper levels reflect the traditional craftsmanship of the region, while the structure itself remains a prominent landmark for centuries.”
Examples
simple
“The pagoda stands tall in the center of the garden.”
contextual
“The monks gathered in the pagoda to perform a morning meditation before the sun rose.”
complex
“The intricate wooden carvings on the pagoda's upper levels reflect the traditional craftsmanship of the region, while the structure itself remains a prominent landmark for centuries.”
Etymology
From Portuguese pagode, which is via Malayalam പകോതി (pakōti) from Sanskrit भगवती (bhagavatī, name of a goddess).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
shake the pagoda tree — To find a source of easy enrichment; to become absurdly rich in a short time period.