divan

views updated Jun 27 2018

di·van • n. 1. / diˈvan; ˈdīˌvan/ a long low sofa without a back or arms, typically placed against a wall.2. / diˈvan; -ˈvän/ hist. a legislative body, council chamber, or court of justice in the Ottoman Empire or elsewhere in the Middle East.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

Dīvān

views updated Jun 27 2018

Dīvān (Urdū, Pañjābī, ‘court, congregation’). Sikh assembly for worship, which takes its name from the royal audience of the Mughal emperors. The sangat gather for worship in the gurdwārā. See also KĪRTAN.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions JOHN BOWKER

divan

views updated May 09 2018

divan Oriental council of state; court of justice, council chamber XVI; long seat against the wall of a room XVIII; smoking-room with lounges XIX. — F. divan or It. divano — Turk. divan — Pers. dīwān (orig.) brochure, (hence) account-book, office of accounts, court, council chamber, (cushioned) bench.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD