gopuram

go·pu·ram

 (gō′po͝or-əm) also go·pu·ra (-po͝or-ə)

n.

1. An entrance building to a Hindu temple in southern India, often topped by a tiered tower of massive proportions and intricate decoration.

2. A similar entrance to a Cambodian Hindu and Buddhist temple from the period of the Khmer empire, often of cruciform shape and topped by a small central tower.

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[Hindi gopuram, alteration (probably influenced by Hindi go Sanskrit gauḥ, go-, cow) of Tamil kōpuram, gopuram : kō, king + puram, fortress (from Sanskrit puram, from pūr, pur-, rampart, fortress; see pelə- in Indo-European roots).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.