car ‧ a ‧ van ‧ se ‧ rai /ˌkærəˈvænsəraɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Persian ; Origin: karwanserai , from karwan ( ⇨ ↑ caravan ) + sarai 'palace, place for travelers to stay in' ]
a hotel with a large open central area, used in the past in Eastern countries by groups of people and animals travelling together