shehnai

S1H4E1H4N1A1I1

noun

An ancient reeded woodwind instrument from India with a long slim body and bulbous sound bowl, with or without keys.

OriginHindi शहनाई ← Persian شهنای →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounshehnai (plural shehnais)

plural shehnais · alternative shanai · alternative shenai

  1. entertainmentAn ancient reeded woodwind instrument from India with a long slim body and bulbous sound bowl, with or without keys.

    The next seven days the shehnais played in the Naupatkhana and every morning I offered my prayers to the founder of our dynasty […]

    1997, Kiran Nagarkar, Cuckold, HarperCollins, published 2013, page 125

Origin

  1. Persianشهنای
  2. Hindiशहनाई
  3. Englishshehnai

From Hindi शहनाई (śahnāī), from Persian شهنای (šahnāi).

More words from Hindi, Persian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali সানাই
  • সানাই (śanai)musical instrument
Hindi शहनाई
  • शहनाई (śahnāī)musical instrument
Cite this entry
APA

shehnai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shehnai

MLA

“shehnai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shehnai. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shehnai,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shehnai.

Source: shehnai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.