tandoor

T1A1N1D2O1O1R1
/tænˈdʊə(ɹ)//tɑːnˈdʊə(ɹ)/

noun

A cylindrical clay oven used in the cuisine of the Caucasus, Middle East, and Indian subcontinent to make flat bread or to cook meat.

OriginClassical Persian تنور ← Middle Persian [script needed] ← Akkadian 𒋾𒂟 →
UncommonScrabble 8
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Meanings

nountandoor (plural tandoors)

plural tandoors

  1. A cylindrical clay oven used in the cuisine of the Caucasus, Middle East, and Indian subcontinent to make flat bread or to cook meat.

    You can cook naan in a normal oven, but the results will inevitably disappoint; even Indians generally wait to savour them in restaurants, as very few homes are equipped with a tandoor.

    2001, Martin Hughes, World Food: India, Lonely Planet, page 53

Origin

  1. Akkadian𒋾𒂟
  2. Middle Persian[script needed]“oven”
  3. Classical Persianتنور
  4. Englishtandoor

Borrowed from Hindustani तंदूर (tandūr) / تندور (tandūr), from Classical Persian تنور (tannūr), from Middle Persian [script needed] (tnwl /⁠tanūr⁠/, “oven”), ultimately from Akkadian 𒋾𒂟 (tinūru), all meaning "(clay) oven". Compare also Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬥𐬏𐬭𐬀 (tanūra). Doublet of athanor.

More words from Classical Persian, Middle Persian, Akkadian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَنُّور
  • تَنُّور (tannūr)cylindrical clay oven
Bengali তন্দুর
  • তন্দুর (tondur)cylindrical clay oven
Chinese Mandarin 馕坑
  • 馕坑 (nángkēng)cylindrical clay oven
Finnish tandooriuuni
  • tandooriuunicylindrical clay oven
French tandoor
  • tandoorcylindrical clay oven
Hindi तन्दूर, तनूर
  • तन्दूर (tandūr)cylindrical clay oven
  • तनूर (tanūr)cylindrical clay oven
Persian تنور
  • تنور (tanur)cylindrical clay oven
Polish tandoor
  • tandoorcylindrical clay oven
Portuguese tandoor
  • tandoorcylindrical clay oven
Punjabi ਤੰਦੂਰ
  • ਤੰਦੂਰ (tandūr)cylindrical clay oven
Russian танды́р
  • танды́р (tandýr)cylindrical clay oven
Spanish horno de barro
  • horno de barrocylindrical clay oven
Swedish tandoor
  • tandoorcylindrical clay oven
Turkish tandır
  • tandırcylindrical clay oven
Urdu تندور, تنور
  • تندور (tandūr)cylindrical clay oven
  • تنور (tanūr)cylindrical clay oven

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with tandoor

yoursuretourmaturesecureensurepoorpureMoorebrochurecureassureentrepreneurinsureunsureobscurecouturelureendureDarfurmanureinsecuremoormuir
All rhymes →

Anagrams

tornadoodorantrotondadonator
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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