A Buddhist temple or monastery, especially in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Cambodia.
From Thai 'วัด' (wat), which may derive from Sanskrit 'vāṭa' (enclosure) or 'āvāsa' (dwelling). The word entered English through colonial contact with Southeast Asia.
Angkor Wat in Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world and contains more stone than the Great Pyramid—its name literally means 'temple city,' proving that grand architecture and spiritual ambition went hand-in-hand in medieval Asia.
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