1. (n.) A Hindoo widow who immolates herself, or is immolated, on the funeral pile of her husband; -- so called because this act of self-immolation is regarded as evincing excellence of wifely character.
2. (n.) The act of burning a widow on the funeral pile of her husband.
Thesaurus Entries
blazing, blistering, branding, burning, burnt offering, calcination, car of Jagannath, carbonization, cauterization, cautery, cineration, collection, combustion, concremation, cracking, cremation, cupellation, deflagration, destructive distillation, disembowelment, distillation, distilling, drink offering, ex voto offering, felo-de-se, flaming, hara-kiri, heave offering, hecatomb, holocaust, human sacrifice, immolation, incense, incineration, infanticide, libation, mactation, mass suicide, oblation, offering, offertory, oxidation, oxidization, parching, peace offering, piacular offering, pyrolysis, refining, ritual suicide, sacramental offering, sacrifice, scapegoat, scorching, scorification, searing, self-destruction, self-immolation, self-murder, self-sacrifice, seppuku, singeing, smelting, suicide, sutteeism, thank offering, the stake, thermogenesis, vesication, votive offering, whole offering
