houri

/ˈhʊəɹi/

Etymology

From French houri, from Persian حوری (hurî), from Arabic حُورِيّ (ḥūriyy) and Arabic حُورِيَّة (ḥūriyya), adjective and feminine singulative of حُور (ḥūr) from Classical Arabic حُورٌ عِينٌ (ḥūrun ʕīnun, “fair maidens, black-eyed ones”). See أَحْوَر m (ʔaḥwar), حَوْرَاء f (ḥawrāʔ) for the base adjective.

noun

  1. A beautiful virgin girl supposed to dwell in Paradise for the enjoyment of the faithful.“They went through the courtyard, past a naked copper houri tilting a water-jar that merely dripped[.]”
  2. Any voluptuous, beautiful woman.“I would not exchange this one little English girl for the Grand Turk’s whole seraglio; gazelle-eyes, houri forms and all!”