narghile

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun an oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water

Etymology

From French narghilé, from Turkish nargile, from Persian نارگیله (nârgile) from نارگیل (nârgil, “a coconut”), which was formerly used to construct the bowl, likely ultimately from Sanskrit नारिकेल (nārikela, “a coconut”), from a Dravidian language.

In classic literature

As Monte Cristo approached, she leaned upon the elbow of the arm that held the narghile, and extending to him her other hand, said, with a smile of captivating sweetness, in the sonorous language spoken by the women of Athens and Sparta: “Why demand permission ere you enter? — The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
A Turkish officer with an immense plume of feathers (the Janizaries were supposed to be still in existence, and the tarboosh had not as yet displaced the ancient and majestic head-dress of the true believers) was seen couched on a divan, and making believe to puff at a narghile, in which, however, for the sake of the ladies, only a fragrant pastille was allowed to smoke. — Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
Each trade had its special bazaar, the gold and silversmiths, the dealers in silks, in carpets, richly embroidered garments, tobacco, long pipes with jewelled mouthpieces, narghiles with their long twisted stems; workers in iron, vendors of the yellow shoes used by the women in walking, the dainty gold-embroidered velvet slippers for indoors, or the pointed upturned shoes of the men, had each its own bazaars scattered throughout the streets. — At Aboukir and Acre: A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt, G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

Synonyms

hookah, nargileh, sheesha, shisha, chicha, calean, kalian, water pipe, hubble-bubble, hubbly-bubbly

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narghile

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