caravansary
noun
car·a·van·sa·ry ˌker-ə-ˈvan(t)-sə-rē 
ˌka-rə-
variants or caravanserai
ˌker-ə-ˈvan(t)-sə-ˌrī
ˌka-rə-
plural caravansaries or caravanserais or caravanserai
1
: an inn surrounding a court in eastern countries where caravans rest at night
2
: hotel, inn
Did you know?
In the Middle East of centuries past, caravans often lodged at caravansaries. These inns were quadrangular in form and enclosed by massive walls with small windows near the top. The central court, which was surrounded by an arcade and storerooms, was large enough to hold 300 to 400 camels. The name was formed from the word caravan and the Persian word sarāī, meaning "palace" or "inn." Caravansary can also be spelled caravanserai, and the word serai is used as a synonym for it.
Synonyms
- auberge
- hospice
- hostel
- hostelry
- hotel
- inn
- lodge
- public house
- tavern
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a caravansary designed specifically for self-styled cheapskates
Recent Examples on the Web Another of Bogaczewicz’s photographs captures a Saudi family having a picnic under a highway overpass, much as their bedouin ancestors might have stopped their caravansary by a desert wadi to have a meal. 
Wired, 26 Nov. 2019
Wired, 26 Nov. 2019 Word History
Etymology
Persian kārvānsarāī, from kārvān caravan + sarāī palace, inn
First Known Use
1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1
caravansaries
noun
variants or caravanserais or caravanserai
as in hotels
a place that provides rooms and usually a public dining room for overnight guests a caravansary designed specifically for self-styled cheapskates Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hotels
- taverns
- hostels
- inns
- hostelries
- auberges
- motels
- campgrounds
- hospices
- public houses
- lodges
- lodgings
- dormitories
- apartment hotels
- resorts
- guesthouses
- camps
- motor lodges
- motor courts
- motor inns
- tourist courts
- accommodations
- boardinghouses
- bed-and-breakfasts
- youth hostels
- bunkhouses
- spas
- lodging houses
- rests
- dorms
- flophouses
- fleabags
- rooming houses
- doss-houses
- courts
- B and Bs
