punka

/ ˈpʌŋkə /

noun

1. a fan made of a palm leaf or leaves

Word History and Origins

Origin of punka¹

C17: from Hindi pankhā, from Sanskrit paksaka fan, from paksa wing

Example Sentences

In Eleanor Estes’s “Miranda the Great,” two cats, Miranda and her daughter Punka, try to save themselves from the invasions of the Huns and Visigoths by taking refuge in the Colosseum.

From New York Times

They soon married and moved to a neighborhood off River Road, buying and building a home that has become a microcosm for Setterfield Design, complete with his signature Punka Fans that you may have seen swaying from the ceilings at Rucker Johns or Elizabeth’s Pizza.

From Washington Times

A card in each seat said: "Saint LaurentParisCollection IPremier Octobre 2012 20HMusic Junior KimbroughEdited by Daft PunkA Pierre" As the show began, banks of large black ceiling panels, the size of billboards, folded back at a 45-degree angle, and five large speakers descended over the runway, which was lighted as if for a concert.

From New York Times

Punka, Punkah, pung′ka, n. a large fan for cooling the air of an Indian house, consisting of a light framework covered with cloth and suspended from the ceiling of a room, worked by pulling a cord or by machinery.

From Project Gutenberg

I had a little army of fourteen serving men, four of whom carried my chair, or palanquin, with a relay, a man to serve me specially at table, a punka man, and a man for every other detail of living.

From Project Gutenberg