n.
Pronunciation: nir- ' vä-n ə , ( ˌ )n ə r-
Function: noun
Usage: often cap
Etymology: Sanskrit nirv ā ṇ a, literally, act of extinguishing, from nis- out + v ā ti it blows ― more at WIND
Date: 1801
1 : the final beatitude that transcends suffering, karma, and samsara and is sought especially in Buddhism through the extinction of desire and individual consciousness
2 a : a place or state of oblivion to care, pain, or external reality also : BLISS , HEAVEN b : a goal hoped for but apparently unattainable : DREAM
– nir · van · ic \ - ' vä-nik, - ' va- \ adjective