Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A fan used especially in India, made of a palm frond or strip of cloth hung from the ceiling and moved by a servant.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In the East Indies, a fan of any kind; specifically, a swinging screen consisting of cloth stretched on a rectangular frame, hung from the ceiling and kept in motion by a servant, or in some cases by machinery, by means of which the air of an apartment is agitated.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Hindostan A machine for fanning a room, usually a movable fanlike frame covered with canvas, and suspended from the ceiling. It is kept in motion by pulling a cord.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Alternative spelling of
punkah .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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We shall begin by directing our attention to the suspended punka, which is usually hung from the ceiling, and put in movement by a cord.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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We shall now proceed to examine several forms of punka, all made to the same size, and, for purposes of comparison, we shall drive them all at the same speed.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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There are some very important natural laws which are illustrated in the punka.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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So the punka is seen everywhere -- in the temple and court room and other public places, as well as in private dwellings.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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This has nothing to do with ventilation; for if the punka were used in a closed room, it would still produce a cooling effect on the skin.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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You cannot, therefore, alter the natural rate of movement of a punka unless you pull it at both sides.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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The length of the suspending cords is usually a matter of accident in the construction of a punka, but a little attention to the subject will soon convince us that it is one of the most important considerations.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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To obtain the greatest result from the power expended in driving it, the punka should be placed as near as possible to the person to be cooled, as the loss of effect, due to distance, increases not in direct ratio, but in proportion to the square of the distance between punka and person.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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_ -- Here is a panel punka which we shall try to use without the customary swing bar.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
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In practice, the punka should just clear his head when standing, and the weighting of the curtain should be of some yielding material, so as not to damage any person who might stand in its course.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 595, May 28, 1887 Various
yarb commented on the word punka
Citation on chirr.
August 26, 2008
knitandpurl commented on the word punka
"She noticed Riggs peering over his shoulder at the bar. 'What's the matter, Colonel? Looking for your punka-wallah? I'm not going to get you a drink, if that's what you're after. I think you men only come up here to booze.'"
The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard, p 39 of the 50th anniversary edition
September 3, 2012