Meaning of Poonam | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A sari made of imported polyester, as opposed to a traditional cotton sari.
   India
2. A Hindu female given name from Hindi.

Equivalents

Examples

“She went on to explain⟳, "Now only old women wear⟳ those coarse cotton saris, control⟳ cheeralu [cheeralu is the Telugu word for saris]. They are like⟳ gunnysacks. Poonams are modern. They are brightly colored and do not fade⟳. But they cling⟳ to the body, and you need⟳ a separate⟳ underskirt and blouse to wear⟳ them." Still later she added, "What else will we wear⟳? We work⟳ in the field all day -- in the sun, in the rain⟳. Poonams don't tear⟳. They don't fade⟳. They don't crumple. Dirt and mud just wash⟳ away. they dry easily."”

“Egged on by their sisters-in-law, two widows gaily dressed themselves in the polyester saris they were not supposed to wear⟳ because poonams are considered too bright, too colorful, too clingy, and, all in all, just too sexy for widows, who are desexualized in the normative gender order⟳.”

“Shantamma, a Dalit smallholder, once said to me, “People like⟳ us, people like⟳ you, everyone wears poonams (polyester saris) these days””

CEFR level