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   harem

   /ˈhɛːrəm/

   noun

   • 1. (in former times) the separate part of a Muslim household reserved for wives, concubines, and female servants: "we were invited into the harem in the rear of the house"
   • ▪ the women occupying a harem; the wives (or concubines) of a polygamous man: "the Maharaja of Delhi had a very fine harem of 18 young and nubile wives"
   • ▪ a group of female animals sharing a single mate: "the dominant bulls gather a harem of anything from two to ten cows"
   • ▪ a group of women perceived as centring around a particular man: "rich men with their extensive harems of buxom blondes"

   Word Origin mid 17th century: from Arabic ḥaram, ḥarīm, literally ‘prohibited, prohibited place’ (hence ‘sanctuary, women's quarters, women’), from ḥarama ‘be prohibited’. Compare with haram.

   Scrabble Points: 10

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