1Indian The art or practice of applying temporary henna tattoos, especially as part of a bride or groom's preparations for a wedding.
‘Only a few Western brides have adopted mehndi as a wedding tradition, but many women use it as a fashion statement and a means of personal expression.’
‘Earlier, Lakshmi Kirti, a cosmetologist and aroma therapist, conducted a demonstration on the preparation and use of mehndi.’
‘You don't need to be a trained artist to apply mehndi.’
‘Whether yoga or mehndi, each comes with a long tradition and sometimes with the baggage of expectation.’
‘She helped popularize mehndi, as well as threading (a technique for removing eyebrow hair), through her work with models, actresses and singers.’
1.1count nounA temporary henna tattoo.
‘No trip to Little India would be complete without getting a mehndi, or temporary henna tattoo.’
‘Another thing that a mehndi would be incomplete without would be henna itself.’
‘She also taught the students how to make a mehndi cone.’
‘Ladies were keen to get their hands decorated with mehndis, or henna tattoos, while children could have their faces painted at a special stall.’
Origin
Early 19th century (originally denoting the henna plant): Hindi, from Sanskrit mendhikā ‘henna plant’.
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