[zig-oo-rat] 
| (among the ancient Babylonians and Assyrians) a temple of Sumerian origin in the form of a pyramidal tower, consisting of a number of stories and having about the outside a broad ascent winding round the structure, presenting the appearance of a series of terraces. |
[zik-oo-rat] .
| zig·gu·rat (zĭg'ə-rāt') n. A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form of a terraced pyramid of successively receding stories. [Akkadian ziqqurratu, temple tower, from zaqāru, to build high; see zqr in Semitic roots.] |