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haram

 - 3 dictionary results

ha⋅ram

[hair-uhm, har-]
–noun
harem.

har⋅em

[hair-uhm, har-]
–noun
1. the part of a Muslim palace or house reserved for the residence of women.
2. the women in a Muslim household, including the mother, sisters, wives, concubines, daughters, entertainers, and servants.
3. Animal Behavior. a social group of females, as elephant seals, accompanied or followed by one fertile male who denies other males access to the group.
4. Facetious or Offensive. a group of women associated in any way with one man or household: Father joked that he had a harem of five daughters.


Origin:
1625–35; < Ar harīm harem, lit., forbidden
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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Word Origin & History

harem 
1634, from Turk. harem, from Arabic haram "wives and concubines," originally "women's quarters," lit. "something forbidden or kept safe," from root of harama "he guarded, forbade."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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