matha
Pluralmathas
- 1In Hinduism and Jainism, a monastery or similar religious institution, usually organized more formally and hierarchically than an ashram.
The guru who leads the matha is chosen from among its most senior monks.
Many mathas maintain libraries of palm-leaf manuscripts going back centuries.
Similarmonastery
Note
A word that came into English directly from Sanskrit maṭha and still belongs to Hindu and Jain religious life. It is not a general word for any monastery. Its most useful contrast is with the ashram: a matha suggests an established house with rank and order. In English it takes a regular plural, mathas. It has no connection to the slang word for "head", which is a separate borrowing from Bengali.
- 2A person's head.
She bumped her matha on the low doorframe and winced.
He clutched his matha after the long, exhausting shift.
Similarhead
Note
New York City street slang taken from Bengali মাথা (matha), meaning "head." Because it is slang tied to one city, it fits casual talk among people who already use it. In writing, or with listeners outside that circle, plain "head" is the safer choice. Treat it as a word you recognize before one you reach for.
Practice
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Origins
This word comes from Sanskrit मठ (maṭha).
This word was borrowed from Bengali মাথা (matha).