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pa·go·da

(pə-gōdə)

a. A religious building of East Asia and Southeast Asia, especially a multistory Buddhist tower with overhanging eaves separating each level, erected as a memorial or shrine.

b. A stupa.

2. A structure, such as a garden pavilion, built in imitation of a multistory Buddhist tower.

[Portuguese pagode, perhaps from Tamil pagavadi, from Sanskrit bhagavatī, goddess, from feminine of bhagavat-, blessed, from bhagaḥ, good fortune; see bhag- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

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pagoda

Gojunoto Pagoda on Itsukushima Island

Hatsukaichi, Japan

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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