pa|go|da

pa|go|da «puh GOH duh», noun.

1. a temple or other sacred building with many stories forming a tower. Each story of a pagoda has a roof curving upward. There are many pagodas in China, Japan, and parts of India and southeastern Asia.

2. a gold or silver coin formerly current in India.

╂[< Portuguese pagode, perhaps < Tamil pagavadi < Sanskrit bhagavatī goddess]