noun (in India) 1.the part of the house in
which the women and girls of a family are secluded.
2.its occupants collectively.
Origin: 1755–65; <
Hindi <
Persian zanāna, female, pertaining to women, adj. derivative of
zan woman; cognate with
Sanskrit jani woman, wife,
Greek gynḗ, OCS
žena, Old English cwēn woman, wife; see
queen