odalisque means A female slave in a harem, especially one in the Ottoman seraglio. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 81 out of 100.
odalisque is pronounced /ˈəʊd(ə)lɪsk/.
Why “odalisque” is a great word
ODALISQUE — [Noun] A female slave or concubine in a harem, especially of the Ottoman court, or an artistic depiction of a nude or semi-nude woman in a luxurious, often exoticized, reclining pose. From French odalisque (1660s), from Ottoman Turkish اوطهلق (odalık, "chambermaid"), from اوده (oda, "room"). First recorded in English use 1675–85. Unlike "virago," which suggests a domineering or heroic agency, or "concubine," which implies a defined, often formalized, sexual role, "odalisque" anchors its subject to a chamber and a master's gaze—the chambermaid whose potential accessibility haunts the periphery of power. It is the languid curve of a painted spine on velvet, the cool marble under a listless hand, and the human property listed in an imperial inventory—a term that conflates a person with a pose, reducing a life to an icon of available luxury.
Etymology
Borrowed from French odalisque, from Ottoman Turkish اوطهلق (odalık, “chambermaid”), from اوده (oda, “room”).
noun
- A female slave in a harem, especially one in the Ottoman seraglio.“When the young Mauretanians were his guests in the little houses before the town gates, and he was of a good humour, it would come about that he displayed his odalisques as others would their jewels.”
- An erotic painting of a woman, usually nude, reclining in a luxurious or exotic setting.“Three years later, she added three more odalisques to her collection. Among the works she purchased in 1937 was an ink study that gave her insight into one stage in the evolution of the 1928 painting.”
- A desirable or sexually attractive woman.