sultana

noun

sul·​ta·​na (ˌ)səl-ˈta-nə How to pronounce sultana (audio)
1
: a woman who is a member of a sultan's family
especially : a sultan's wife
2
a
: a pale yellow seedless grape grown for raisins and wine
b
: the raisin of a sultana

Examples of sultana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In another example of Islamic women rulers’ reach, a century after Zumurrud, Shajar al-Durr ruled independently as the sultana of Egypt, albeit for only three months. Katherine Pangonis, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2022 Due to an 18th-century mania for all things Turkish, the French trendsetter Madame de Pompadour (left) chose to be painted as a sultana. Nancy MacDonell, WSJ, 1 July 2021 Those pirates thrived under the protection of the island’s capricious sultana, cruel in her poverty, weakness, fearful isolation, and unnatural state of unmarried womanly rule. New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020 Savory pies and Christmas puddings All grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas are toxic to dogs; as are foods that contain them – which means no mince pies for your pooch. 3. Htv National Desk, Houston Chronicle, 12 Dec. 2019 Raisins, sultanas, currants and grapes, which can make pets very sick. Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal, 4 Dec. 2019 The prospect of a sultana troubles many ordinary Yogyakartans. The Economist, 17 Aug. 2019 Add ½ cup cooked cool quinoa, chopped dried fruit (a mixture of any of the following: cranberries, sultanas, apricots, cherries). Kristine M. Kierzek, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2018 The most recent of these types of stories involves (wait for it) a box of sultanas (a.k.a small raisins). Sarah Schreiber, Good Housekeeping, 26 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sultana.' 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

Italian, feminine of sultano sultan, from Arabic sulṭān

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sultana was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near sultana

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

sultana

noun
sul·​ta·​na (ˌ)səl-ˈtan-ə How to pronounce sultana (audio)
1
: a woman who is a member of a sultan's family
especially : a sultan's wife
2
: a pale yellow seedless grape grown for raisins and wine
also : a raisin prepared by drying this grape

More from Merriam-Webster on sultana

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