🇺🇸
/ˈæl.mə.rə/
🇺🇸
/ˈæl.mə.rə/
🇬🇧
/ˈæl.mə.rə/
🇬🇧
/ˈæl.mə.rə/
Plural
almirahs
An almirah is a tall, freestanding cupboard or wardrobe—often made of wood or metal—used for storing clothes, linens, or household items, especially common in South Asian homes. Think of it as the local version of a wardrobe: sturdy, sometimes ornately carved, and often passed down through generations.
She opened the old teak almirah to find her grandmother's silk sari folded neatly inside.
The landlord installed a steel almirah in each bedroom for extra storage.
Don't stack books on top of the almirah—it’s not designed to hold weight there.
Our kitchen has a small almirah for storing spices and cooking utensils.
He bought a new almirah with mirrored doors to make the room look bigger.
armarium
Comes from Latin 'armarium', meaning 'a chest or closet for storing weapons (arma) or valuables'. It is derived from 'arma' (‘arms, weapons’) + the noun-forming suffix '-arium' (denoting a place for something). Examples include almirah, armario (Spanish), armário (Portuguese), armarium (Latin). Core meaning: 'storage container or cabinet'.
arma
Comes from Latin 'arma', meaning 'arms, weapons, equipment, or tools' — originally military, later extended to general possessions or valuables. The semantic shift from 'weapon chest' to 'general storage cabinet' occurred via Portuguese colonial usage in South Asia. Examples include armament, alarm (via Italian 'all'arme' = 'to arms!'), armory, and almirah.