abir

noun

əˈbi(ə)r
plural -s
India
: a perfumed red powder used at the Holi festival

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi abīr (Urdu ʽabīr) "mixture of perfumes compounded with saffron," borrowed from Persian ʽabīr "perfume mixture," borrowed from Arabic, "fragrance, perfume"

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abir was in 1799

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Dictionary Entries Near abir

Abipón

abir

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

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Cite this Entry

“Abir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abir. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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