Tandoor
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 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."
- 2 a clay oven used in northern India and Pakistan wordnet
Example
More examples"I had a buffet lunch at an Indian restaurant called "La Tandoor." It was only $6.95 and it included spicy chicken curry and all sorts of curry. The dessert was rice pudding with pistachios. It was a heavy meal, but it was fabulous. A good thing that I notice of Indian restaurants is that the decor and the ambiance are very comfortable, almost like a bedroom. It makes me want to take a nap after the hearty meal. Today is the 3rd of November of 2001."
Etymology
Borrowed from Hindustani तंदूर (tandūr) / تندور (tandūr), from Classical Persian تنور (tannūr), from Middle Persian [script needed] (tnwl /tanūr/, “oven”), Ultimately from Sumerian 𒅎𒋗𒆸 (šurin) via Akkadian 𒋾𒂟 (tinūru), all meaning (clay) oven. Compare also Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬥𐬏𐬭𐬀 (tanūra). Doublet of athanor.
Related phrases
More for "tandoor"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.