, 1973: Perhaps it was a mistake to invite Mr Stanhope; the day was intolerably hot and humid; all he wanted to do was to lie on his bed with a punkah sighing over him, at least moving the unbreathable air. — Patrick OBrian, HMS Surprise
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punkah — or punka [puŋ′kə] n. [Hindi pankhā < Sans pakshaka, fan < paksha, wing] in India, a large fan made from the palmyra leaf, or a large, swinging fan consisting of canvas stretched over a rectangular frame and hung from the ceiling … English World dictionary
Punkah — A punkah (Hindi pankha ) is a type of fan. In its original sense the punkah was a portable fan made from the leaf of the palmyra. In the colonial age, the word came to be used in a special sense by Anglo Indians in British India for a large… … Wikipedia
Punkah — Moderner computergesteuerter Punkah Pankha (hindostani), auch Punkah, bezeichnet einen Fächerwedel. Ursprünglich war ein Pankha ein transportabler Fächer, der aus einem Palmyra oder Borassus Palmblatt hergestellt wurde. Diese Bezeichnung hat sich … Deutsch Wikipedia
punkah — /pung keuh/, n. 1. (esp. in India) a fan, esp. a large, swinging, screenlike fan hung from the ceiling and moved by a servant or by machinery. adj. 2. of, pertaining to, used on, or working a punkah: punkah ropes. Also, punka. [1615 25; < Hindi… … Universalium
punkah — UK [ˈpʌŋkə] / US noun [countable] Word forms punkah : singular punkah plural punkahs Indian English old fashioned a piece of equipment used for making the air cold in a room. It consists of a large flat piece of cloth that hangs from the ceiling … English dictionary
punkah — n. 1 (in India) a fan usu. made from the leaf of the palmyra. 2 a large swinging cloth fan on a frame worked by a cord or electrically. Phrases and idioms: punkah wallah a person who works a punkah. Etymology: Hindi pankha fan f. Skr. paksaka f.… … Useful english dictionary
punkah — Punka Pun ka, n. [Hind. pankh[=a] fan.] A machine for fanning a room, usually a movable fanlike frame covered with canvas, and suspended from the ceiling. It is kept in motion by pulling a cord. [Hindostan] [Written also {punkah}.] Malcom. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
punkah — n. large fan, especially moved by rope. ♦ punkah wallah, n. servant moving this … Dictionary of difficult words
punkah wallah — /ˈpʌŋkə wɒlə/ (say pungkuh woluh) noun Indian English (formerly) a servant employed to operate a punkah (def. 1). Also, punkah wala. {punkah + wallah} …
punkah wallah — ˈwälə noun : the operator of a punkah … Useful english dictionary
