Standard Lemma guide

devadasi

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A girl who underwent the Hindu religious practice of being "married" to a deity. In addition to taking care of the temple, she learned and practiced Bharatanatyam and other classical Indian arts, enjoying high social status.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Hinduism, historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: temple dancer, temple girl

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the Sanskrit देवदासी (devá-dāsī, “female servant of a deity”), from देव (devá, “deity, god”) and दासी (dāsī, “a female servant or slave”).

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Macedonian: бајадера (bajadera) — devadasi
  • Malayalam: ദേവദാസി (dēvadāsi) — devadasi
  • Sanskrit: देवदासी (devadāsī) — devadasi
  • Tamil: தேவதாசி (tēvatāci) — devadasi
  • Tamil: தேவடியாள் (tēvaṭiyāḷ) — devadasi