sindoor

S1I1N1D2O1O1R1

noun

A traditional red or orange cosmetic powder from India, usually worn by Hindu women along the parting of the hair as a sign of marriage.

OriginSanskrit सिन्दूर →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

nounsindoor (uncountable)

alternative sindhur · alternative sindhuram · alternative sindooram

  1. uncountableA traditional red or orange cosmetic powder from India, usually worn by Hindu women along the parting of the hair as a sign of marriage.

    After she’d brushed her hair and twisted it into a knot, she got her sindoor out of the cabinet. It was in a tiny, flat copper container, and the powder was bright red.

    2023, Chetna Maroo, Western Lane, Picador, page 27

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
bindivermilion

Origin

  1. Sanskritसिन्दूर“red lead”
  2. Englishsindoor

Borrowed from Sanskrit सिन्दूर (sindūra, “red lead”).

More words from Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

indoorsSondriosordino
Cite this entry
APA

sindoor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sindoor

MLA

“sindoor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sindoor. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sindoor,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sindoor.

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