A massive terraced tower with successively receding stories, built by ancient Mesopotamians as a temple platform reaching toward the heavens.
From Akkadian 'ziqqurratu' meaning 'to build on a raised area' or 'pinnacle.' The word entered English through archaeological literature in the 19th century as scholars began excavating these distinctive stepped structures.
These weren't just buildings - they were literal stairways to heaven! The Tower of Babel from the Bible was likely inspired by ziggurats, and their stepped pyramid design influenced architecture from ancient Egypt to modern skyscrapers with setback terraces.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.