suttee

/sʌˈtiː/
noun
  1. The former practice in some Hindu communities of a widow burning herself on her husband's funeral pyre.
    • The British colonial government worked to end the practice of suttee.
    • Historical accounts describe suttee as a rare but deeply rooted custom.
    • Suttee was outlawed in India in the 19th century.
  2. A widow who performed this act.
    • Temples were sometimes built in honor of a suttee.
    • The village remembered the suttee as a woman of great devotion.
    • The story of the suttee was passed down through generations.
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