samovar

noun sam·o·var \ ˈsa-mə-ˌvär \

Definition of samovar

1 : an urn with a spigot at its base used especially in Russia to boil water for tea

2 : an urn similar to a Russian samovar with a device for heating the contents

Recent Examples of samovar from the Web

Guests can grab tea from large samovars before viewing an exhibit of jerseys and medals from the country’s hockey successes, dating to the Soviet period when the Red Machine ruled.

— tariq panja, New York Times, "What Ban? Patriotic Fervor Grips Russia’s Celebration House in South Korea," 11 Feb. 2018
There is a traditional samovar of tea, a folk choir, even the dress in which figure skater Adelina Sotnikova won the gold medal in Sochi in 2014.

— james ellingsworth, chicagotribune.com, "Russia throws flamboyant Olympic party despite scandals," 9 Feb. 2018
Privalenko pointed out Lenin’s samovar, a piano and a chess table with a secret compartment to hide materials from the police.

— joshua hammer, Smithsonian, "Vladimir Lenin’s Return Journey to Russia Changed the World Forever," 29 Mar. 2017
The Lithuanian director Rimas Tuminas reimagines this story of blighted ambitions and unrequited love without a samovar in sight.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "What’s New in NYC Theater," 8 June 2017
Later this month, Mr. Paley launches a full Russian afternoon tea at Portland’s Heathman Hotel, complete with Kiev tortes, his grandmother’s sour cream cake and vintage samovars.

— sarah karnasiewicz, WSJ, "How Slavic Became the Flavor of the Moment," 2 Nov. 2016
An overturned brass samovar in a dingy brown train compartment.

— gideon lewis-kraus, New York Times, "What We See When We Look at Travel Photography," 22 Sep. 2016
There were sacks, bags, feather mattresses, children, samovars, pillows.

— michael schulman, The New Yorker, "The Story of a Painter," 18 Jan. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'samovar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of samovar

Origin and Etymology of samovar

Russian, from samo- self + varit' to boil

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1830

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Household Terms

cruet, curiosity, duvet, fiasco, sham, taper, valance, whatnot

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See words that rhyme with samovar Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about samovar

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samovar

Definition of samovar

Recent Examples of samovar from the Web

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Origin and Etymology of samovar

Other Household Terms

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samovar

Definition of samovar

Recent Examples of samovar from the Web

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Origin and Etymology of samovar

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