charpoy

UK/ˈtʃɑːpɔɪ/US/ˈt͡ʃɑɹpɔɪ/

charpoy noun: a traditional bedstead used in South Asia, consisting of a wooden frame bordering a set of knotted ropes.

Noun

charpoy (plural charpoys)

(South-Asia) A traditional bedstead used in South Asia, consisting of a wooden frame bordering a set of knotted ropes.
- Here is a charpoy on which two can sit, and it is possible that there may, from time to time, be food in that platter.1888, Rudyard Kipling, “To be Filed for Reference”, in Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio Society, published 2004, page 213
- Flory crossed the brick-like earth of the yard between the hospital sheds. All down the wide verandas, on sheetless charpoys, rows of grey-faced men lay silent and moveless.1934, George Orwell, chapter 13, in Burmese Days

From Hindustani چار پائی (cār pāī) / चारपाई (cārpāī), from चार (cār, “four”) + पाई (pāī, “feet”), thus literally “quadruped” or “tetrapod”.

What does charpoy mean?: Charpoy means a traditional bedstead used in South Asia, consisting of a wooden frame bordering a set of knotted ropes.
What is charpoy in Hindi?: Charpoy in Hindi is चारपाई (cārpāī). See Charpoy meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is charpoy?: Charpoy is a noun.
How do you pronounce charpoy?: Charpoy is pronounced /ˈtʃɑːpɔɪ/ (UK).
What is the plural of charpoy?: The plural of charpoy is charpoys.

Adapted from Wiktionary: charpoy (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this entry: “charpoy.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/charpoy. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.