seraglio

[ si-ral-yoh, -rahl- ]

noun

, plural se·ragl·ios.

1. the part of a Muslim house or palace in which the wives and concubines are secluded; harem.
2. a Turkish palace, especially of the sultan.

seraglio

/ -ˈreɪl; səˈraɪ; -ˈraɪl; sɛˈrɑːlɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. the harem of a Muslim house or palace
2. a sultan's palace, esp in the former Turkish empire
3. the wives and concubines of a Muslim

Word History and Origins

Origin of seraglio¹

1575–85; < Italian serraglio < Persian sarāy palace; sense development in Italian perhaps influenced by serrare to lock up

Word History and Origins

Origin of seraglio¹

C16: from Italian serraglio animal cage, from Medieval Latin serrāculum bolt, from Latin sera a door bar; associated also with Turkish seray palace

Example Sentences

The performance begins with the overture from Mozart’s opera “The Abduction from the Seraglio.”

From Seattle Times

“Is she original? Is she piquant? I would not exchange this one little English girl for the Grand Turk’s whole seraglio, gazelle-eyes, houri forms, and all!”

From Literature

“I’ll not stand you an inch in the stead of a seraglio,” I said; “so don’t consider me an equivalent for one. If you have a fancy for anything in that line, away with you, sir, to the bazaars of Stamboul without delay, and lay out in extensive slave-purchases some of that spare cash you seem at a loss to spend satisfactorily here.”

From Literature

In his last job, leading the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, Neef co-produced Mouawad’s first stab at opera, a 2016 production of Mozart’s “The Abduction From the Seraglio,” that Neef calls “one of the most satisfying experiences that I’ve ever had with a director.”

From New York Times

He made his international debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1982, conducting Mozart’s “Abduction From the Seraglio” in the city where the composer spent much of his life, before an infamously fastidious and unforgiving audience.

From Washington Post