houri
1
9.9
A beautiful young woman with dark eyes who accompanies faithful people in Paradise in Muslim belief
- noun
- /ˈhʊəri/
- Literature
:
houri
- On the other hand, every Sunday, Hamadi, his son Samad, and his daughter Houria, the houri, sit down together to a couscous he lovingly prepares himself.
Examples
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Muslim men believe that the houri will greet them upon their arrival in Paradise.
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In no time, she gives him a boy, Samad, and a girl, Houria, a perfect little houri.
Fiction book (2001) -
In many interpretations of Islamic texts, a houri is described as a beautiful companion offered to the faithful in the afterlife.
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The houri are often depicted as dark-eyed maidens, symbolizing the rewards in Paradise for the righteous.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Houri comes from the Arabic word ḥūrīyah, built on ḥūr which means 'wide-eyed' and was used for the lovely maidens promised in 'paradise' in Islamic belief. So a houri is remembered as a heavenly companion for believers.