stupa

noun

stu·​pa ˈstü-pə How to pronounce stupa (audio)
: a usually dome-shaped structure (such as a mound) serving as a Buddhist shrine

Illustration of stupa

Illustration of stupa

Examples of stupa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But in 2022, Chilean engineers built similar ice stupa prototypes in the Andes. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Jan. 2024 All around me, amid a handful of stupas and temples, were the flattened foundations of buildings in the religious complex. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 The exhibit fans out around a structure that replicates the form of a Buddhist stupa. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2023 He’s first seen strolling through photogenic golden fields, circling a stone stupa on his way to visit an elderly lama (real-deal lama Kelsang Choejey). Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Oct. 2023 In the 1970s another remarkable stupa at Dhulikatta produced a further series of treasures. William Dalrymple, The New York Review of Books, 31 Aug. 2023 Many are from the ruins of the great stupa at Bharhut, in central India, built around 250 B.C. and excavated after its rediscovery in 1873. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2023 Visitors are encouraged to show respect and observe silence while at the stupa, allowing everyone to experience its peaceful ambiance. The Arizona Republic, 28 July 2023 The stupa is a recurrent visual theme in the Met exhibition. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 21 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stupa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Sanskrit stūpa

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stupa was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near stupa

Cite this Entry

“Stupa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupa. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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