seraglio

noun

se·​ra·​glio sə-ˈral-(ˌ)yō How to pronounce seraglio (audio)
-ˈräl-
plural seraglios
1
2
: a palace of a sultan

Examples of seraglio in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite Miller’s visual panache — when’s the last time a seraglio was depicted on the big screen? — these anecdotes are ultimately as unsatisfying as Campion’s Dog. Armond White, National Review, 7 Sep. 2022 The film, which was to be called In the Sultan’s Power, involved a dashing American traveler who rescues a young Frenchwoman from the seraglio of a diabolical Turkish nobleman. Longreads, 15 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

Italian serraglio, modification of Turkish saray palace

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seraglio was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near seraglio

Cite this Entry

“Seraglio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seraglio. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

seraglio

noun
se·​ra·​glio sə-ˈral-yō How to pronounce seraglio (audio)
plural seraglios
: the rooms assigned to women in a Muslim household

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