Phrase guide

Russian doll

noun · 2 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

One of a set of hollow nesting dolls, usually wooden and decorated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An issue or situation which repeatedly reveals more levels of complexity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

89 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: matrioshka — wooden doll
  • Albanian: kukulla ruse — wooden doll
  • Arabic: مَاتْرْيُوشْكَا (mātryūškā) — wooden doll
  • Arabic: دُمْيَةُ رُوسِيَّة (dumyatu rūsiyya) — wooden doll
  • Armenian: մատրյոշկա (matryoška) — wooden doll
  • Azerbaijani: matryoşka — wooden doll
  • Basque: matrioxka — wooden doll
  • Basque: errusiar panpina — wooden doll
  • Belarusian: матро́шка (matróška) — wooden doll
  • Bulgarian: матрьошка (matrjoška) — wooden doll
  • Catalan: matrioixca — wooden doll
  • Catalan: nina russa — wooden doll
  • Chinese Cantonese: 俄羅斯公仔 /俄罗斯公仔 (ngo4 lo4 si1 gung1 zai2) — wooden doll
  • Chinese Mandarin: 俄羅斯套娃 /俄罗斯套娃 (Éluósī tàowá) — wooden doll
  • Czech: matrjoška — wooden doll
  • Danish: matrjosjka — wooden doll
  • Danish: babusjka — wooden doll
  • Danish: russisk dukke — wooden doll
  • Dutch: Russische pop — wooden doll
  • Dutch: matroesjka — wooden doll
  • Dutch: baboesjka — wooden doll
  • Esperanto: matrjoŝko — wooden doll
  • Esperanto: matrjoŝka pupo — wooden doll
  • Estonian: matrjoška — wooden doll
  • Finnish: maatuska — wooden doll
  • Finnish: matrjoshka — wooden doll
  • French: poupée russe — wooden doll
  • French: matriochka — wooden doll
  • French: poupée gigogne — wooden doll
  • Georgian: მატრიოშკა (maṭriošḳa) — wooden doll
  • Georgian: მატრიოშკები (maṭriošḳebi) — wooden doll
  • German: Matrjoschka — wooden doll
  • German: Matroschka — wooden doll
  • German: Babuschka-Puppe — wooden doll
  • German: Matrioschka — wooden doll
  • Greek: ματριόσκα (matrióska) — wooden doll
  • Greek: μπάμπουσκα (bámpouska) — wooden doll
  • Greek: μπαμπούσκα (bampoúska) — wooden doll
  • Hebrew: מַטְרִיוֹשְׁקָה (matriyóshka) — wooden doll
  • Hungarian: matrjoska — wooden doll
  • Ido: enboxa pupeo — wooden doll
  • Indonesian: matrioska — wooden doll
  • Italian: matrioska — wooden doll
  • Italian: matriosca — wooden doll
  • Japanese: マトリョーシカ (matoryōshika) — wooden doll
  • Korean: 마트료시카 (mateuryosika) — wooden doll
  • Northern Kurdish: matruşka — wooden doll
  • Northern Kurdish: matryoşka — wooden doll
  • Latvian: matrjoška — wooden doll
  • Macedonian: матрјо́шка (matrjóška) — wooden doll
  • Macedonian: бабушка (babuška) — wooden doll
  • Malay: matryoshka — wooden doll
  • Malayalam: മത്ര്യോഷ്ക പാവ (matryōṣka pāva) — wooden doll
  • Norwegian: matrjosjka — wooden doll
  • Norwegian: matruska — wooden doll
  • Norwegian: matrusjka — wooden doll
  • Occitan: matrïoshca — wooden doll
  • Persian: ماتروشکا (mâtruškâ) — wooden doll
  • Polish: matrioszka — wooden doll
  • Portuguese: boneca russa — wooden doll
  • Portuguese: matrioshka — wooden doll
  • Portuguese: matriosca — wooden doll
  • Portuguese: matryoshka — wooden doll
  • Romanian: matrioșka — wooden doll
  • Romanian: matrioșca — wooden doll
  • Russian: матрёшка (matrjóška) — wooden doll
  • Serbo-Croatian: матрјошка — wooden doll
  • Serbo-Croatian: ба̀бушка — wooden doll
  • Serbo-Croatian: matrjoška — wooden doll
  • Serbo-Croatian: bàbuška — wooden doll
  • Sicilian: matriosca — wooden doll
  • Silesian: matrjoszka — wooden doll
  • Slovak: matrioška — wooden doll
  • Slovene: matrioška — wooden doll
  • Slovene: babuška — wooden doll
  • Spanish: muñeca rusa — wooden doll
  • Spanish: matrioska — wooden doll
  • Swedish: rysk docka — wooden doll
  • Swedish: matrjosjka — wooden doll
  • Swedish: babusjka — wooden doll
  • Thai: ตุ๊กตาแม่ลูกดก (dtúk-gà-dtaa-mɛ̂ɛ-lûuk-dòk) — wooden doll
  • Thai: มาโตรชก้า (maa-dtròoch-gâa) — wooden doll
  • Turkish: matruşka — wooden doll
  • Ukrainian: матрьо́шка (matrʹóška) — wooden doll
  • Ukrainian: мотрі́́йка (motrí́jka) — wooden doll
  • Uzbek: matryoshka — wooden doll
  • Vietnamese: múp bê làm tổ — wooden doll
  • Vietnamese: búp bê nga — wooden doll
  • Vietnamese: búp bê lồng nhau — wooden doll