abir

noun

əˈbi(ə)r

plural -s

India

: a perfumed red powder used at the Holi festival

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi abīr (Urdu ʽabīr) "mixture of perfumes compounded with saffron," borrowed from Persian ʽabīr "perfume mixture," borrowed from Arabic, "fragrance, perfume"

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

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