noun

caravanserai

ka-ruh-VAN-suh-rye

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Caravanserai (noun) means a roadside inn built around a central courtyard, historically used to shelter travellers and their caravans on trade routes across Asia and North Africa. Example: “Traders and their camels rested overnight in the caravanserai.”

noun

historical A roadside inn built around a central courtyard, historically used to shelter travellers and their caravans on trade routes across Asia and North Africa.

"Traders and their camels rested overnight in the caravanserai."

"The old caravanserai on the Silk Road has been restored as a museum."

"Merchants stored their goods safely within the caravanserai's walls."

A busy gathering place where people, especially from different cultures, meet and mix temporarily.

"The market square became a caravanserai of languages and faces."

"The airport lounge felt like a modern caravanserai of travellers passing through."

How to use caravanserai

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishIt is an old-style travellers' inn built around a courtyard, or, more loosely, any busy meeting place.

When to use it

It is a literary and historical word, not something used in everyday conversation.

Memory tip

Picture a courtyard hotel for camel trains and you have the original meaning.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

caravan →

Common pairings

ancient caravanserai restored caravanserai along the trade route stay at a caravanserai

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “caravanserai” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Traders and their camels rested overnight in the _____.

Etymology

Caravanserai was borrowed either via Middle French, or directly from Ottoman Turkish, or directly from Persian kârvânsarây, itself formed from kârvân, meaning caravan, and sarây, meaning courtyard or house.

Origin: Persian

Synonyms

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caravansary khan

Related words

khan khakan

Rhymes for caravanserai

ai bai hai sai kai wai tai dai lai rai Mai nai

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Frequently asked questions

What is a caravanserai?

It is a roadside inn built around a courtyard where travelling merchants and their caravans could rest and store goods.

Where were caravanserais found?

They were common along trade routes across Asia and North Africa, offering travellers shelter between towns.

Is caravanserai still used as a word today?

Yes, though mostly to describe historical buildings, or figuratively for a lively meeting place where different people cross paths.

What is the meaning of caravanserai?

"caravanserai" (noun) means a roadside inn built around a central courtyard, historically used to shelter travellers and their caravans on trade routes across Asia and North Africa.

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