pagoda

[ puh-goh-duh ]

noun

1. in India, Myanmar (Burma), China, etc., a temple or sacred building, usually a pyramidlike tower and typically having upward-curving roofs over the individual stories.
2. any of several former gold or silver coins of southern India, usually bearing a figure of such a temple, first issued in the late 16th century and later also by British, French, and Dutch traders.

pagoda

/ pəˈɡəʊdə /

noun

1. an Indian or Far Eastern temple, esp a tower, usually pyramidal and having many storeys

pagoda

1. A tower with several different stories, each of which has its own roof. Pagodas are common in eastern Asia and originally served religious purposes as memorials or shrines.

Other Words From

• pa·goda·like adjective
• subpa·goda noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pagoda¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Portuguese pagode “temple,” ultimately from Persian butkada ( but “idol” + kada “temple, dwelling”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of pagoda¹

C17: from Portuguese pagode, ultimately from Sanskrit bhagavatī divine

Example Sentences

But it’s important that the creators of the pagoda lunch box, the thank-you bag, and the pink doughnut box did not try to capture all the profits that they created.

From Los Angeles Times

Then Ms. Mac picked out a respectable cage—okay, not the three-story pagoda I’d had my eye on—but a nice cage.

From Literature

Gu’s Beijing neighborhood is known for the 13th-century Buddhist temple of the title, whose tall white pagoda is visible far and wide.

From Los Angeles Times

Over at Shrubsole, I couldn’t look away from the contemporaneous Chinoiserie “epergne,” a botanically themed silver serving dish whose nine separate floating bowls are surmounted by a pagoda roof topped with a pineapple.

From New York Times

Its most beloved dishes are Americanized favorites, its lion statues and elaborately painted pagoda facade at once charming and a little cringe.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gazebo
• memorial
• shrine
• temple