tandoor

noun

tan·​door tän-ˈdu̇r How to pronounce tandoor (audio)
: a cylindrical clay oven in which food is cooked over charcoal

Examples of tandoor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The standout Indian kitchen has tandoor ovens — an industry rarity — meaning curries arrive with real naan instead of the pita many other ships pass off as a substitute. David Dickstein, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026 Many restaurant versions cook the chicken in a tandoor, a traditional clay oven, which can take over an hour, not including several hours for marinating. Kate Williams, AJC.com, 13 Apr. 2026 Open for lunch and dinner, it’s housed in a pretty space with mosaic floor tiles and an open kitchen with three traditional clay (tandoor) ovens. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2026 Within the national park, the restaurant focuses on Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, like Aleppo chicken and 12-hour lamb shoulder tandoor. Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tandoor

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Urdu tandūr, tannūr, from Persian tanūr, from Arabic tannūr

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tandoor was in 1840

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Cite this Entry

“Tandoor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tandoor. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

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