Both Uses
Ottoman Empire
in
Jane Eyre
(Auto-generated)
- Yet it was merely a very pretty drawing-room, and within it a boudoir, both spread with white carpets, on which seemed laid brilliant garlands of flowers; both ceiled with snowy mouldings of white grapes and vine-leaves, beneath which glowed in rich contrast crimson couches and ottomans; while the ornaments on the pale Parisian mantelpiece were of sparkling Bohemian glass, ruby red; and between the windows large mirrors repeated the general blending of snow and fire.†
p. 123.7Ottomans = people of the Turkish Empire (13th century until after World War I)
- Some of them threw themselves in half-reclining positions on the sofas and ottomans: some bent over the tables and examined the flowers and books: the rest gathered in a group round the fire: all talked in a low but clear tone which seemed habitual to them.†
p. 199.3 *
Definitions:
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(1)
(Ottoman Empire) large Turkish empire (late 1200s–World War I) that ruled much of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and North AfricaThe Ottoman Empire began as a small Turkish state but grew into one of the most powerful empires in the world. Its rulers were called sultans, and its capital was Constantinople (now Istanbul), which the Ottomans captured in 1453, ending the Byzantine Empire.
At its height in the 1500s and 1600s, under rulers such as Suleiman the Magnificent, it controlled lands around the eastern Mediterranean, including much of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
After siding with Germany in World War I, the empire broke apart. From its former lands, modern Turkey and several other countries in the Middle East and North Africa eventually emerged. - (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)