Tilak

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈtɪlÉ™k/

Alternative forms

• tilaka

Origin

From Sanskrit तिलक.

Full definition of tilak

Noun

1. A mark or symbol worn on the forehead by Hindus, ornamentally or as an indication of status.
• 2001, Yann Martel, Life of Pi:I wore these spots of shine and silver like tilaks, the marks of colour that we Hindus wear on our foreheads as symbols of the divine.
• 2012, Jake Halpern, "The Secret of the Temple", The New Yorker, 30 Apr 2012:He dressed in a dhoti, had a wispy white beard that trailed down to his waist, and regularly smeared across his forehead a tilaka, a pitchfork-shaped design that signifies enlightenment.