Almirahs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of cabinet or wardrobe used for storing clothes or other items, typically featuring doors and shelves for organization
2. A piece of furniture designed for storage, often resembling a tall cupboard, frequently found in bedrooms or living spaces
3. A storage unit commonly used in homes to hold garments and personal belongings, often equipped with compartments and doors

Etymology: "Almirahs" is simply the plural of "almirah," a tall storage cupboard common in South Asian homes. The singular entered English from Hindustani, where it appears as "almārī," written in Perso-Arabic script as الماری and in Devanagari as अलमारी. That Hindustani word was itself borrowed from Portuguese "armário," which in turn descends from the Latin "armarium," a chest or cupboard for keeping valuables and tools. The same Latin root produced the English "ambry," a recess in a church wall for sacred vessels, and "armoire," the French term for a large wardrobe, so all three are doublets of one another. The Portuguese route is the notable part: Portuguese traders and colonists carried their word for a cabinet into the subcontinent, where it was adapted and later adopted into everyday English usage.

Synonyms: cupboard, wardrobe