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houri

/ˈhuri/
IPA guide

Other forms: houris

A houri is an extremely beautiful young woman. In Islam, a houri exists in Paradise as a divine companion for those believers who have died.

The houri is an important figure in Islam, appearing several times in the Quran. Though they are described as feminine, they appear as both male and female, acting as companions or guides for faithful Muslims. Houris are often depicted as beautiful young virgins, and this idea has been transferred to European cultures, in which a houri is simply a "voluptuous woman." The Persian root, huri, means "nymph in Paradise," from the Arabic haura, "beautifully dark-eyed."

Definitions of houri
  1. noun
    (Islam) one of the dark-eyed virgins of perfect beauty believed to live with the blessed in Paradise
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    type of:
    mythical being
    an imaginary being of myth or fable
  2. noun
    a voluptuously beautiful young woman
    synonyms: nymph
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    type of:
    adult female, woman
    an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
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