abir
noun
əˈbi(ə)r
plural -s
India
: a perfumed red powder used at the Holi festival
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Hindi abīr (Urdu ʽabīr) "mixture of perfumes compounded with saffron," borrowed from Persian ʽabīr "perfume mixture," borrowed from Arabic, "fragrance, perfume"
First Known Use
1799, in the meaning defined above