harem
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
harem /ˈhɑːriːm, hɑːˈriːm, ˈhɛːrəm/
▶noun
- 1 the separate part of a Muslim household reserved for wives, concubines, and female servants.
- 2 the wives (or concubines) of a polygamous man.
- 3 a group of female animals sharing a single mate.
– origin C17: from Arab. ḥaram, ḥarīm, lit. ‘prohibited place’, from ḥarama ‘be prohibited’.
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