Definition of "caravanserai" in Englisch

noun

1. (chiefly historical) A roadside inn, usually having a central courtyard where caravans (see sense 3) can rest, providing accommodation for travellers along trade routes in Asia and North Africa.

2. (by extension) A place resembling a caravanserai (sense 1) as being a place for resting temporarily, or a meeting place (especially one that is busy, or where people of different cultures encounter each other).

3. (by extension) Synonym of caravan (“a convoy of travellers, their cargo and vehicles, and pack animals”).

4. (by extension, archaic) A hostelry, an inn; also (humorous), an (upscale) hotel.