Houri

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhʊəɹi/

Definitions

1. A divine figure represented as a beautiful and chaste woman in various religious writings
2. A celestial being often depicted as an alluring and virtuous female in certain religious and mythological texts
3. A heavenly entity portrayed as an enchanting and pure woman found in several spiritual literatures

Etymology: The Arabic phrase "ḥūrun ʕīnun" in the Quran describes the companions promised to the faithful in paradise, and it literally means "fair maidens, black-eyed ones." The key word "ḥūr" is the plural of the adjective "ḥawrāʔ," which describes eyes with a striking contrast of white and dark, a quality prized in classical Arabic poetry. Over time, the word shifted from describing the appearance of eyes to naming the women themselves. English took the word through French, which borrowed it from Persian "ḥūrī," itself drawn from Arabic. The Persian form carried the word into the Islamic literary tradition, where it became a common image of paradisal beauty. Its English use is largely tied to Western writing about the Middle East and Islam, so the word often carries an exotic, orientalist flavour in English texts.

Synonyms: virgin, paradise maiden