Etymology

Noun

1. A seat, usually with a canopy, carried on the back of an elephant or camel.

   • 1972: I shot a couple (...) Only from the safety of a howdah, of course. — Patrick O'Brian, Post Captain
   • 1993: I felt the corporeal elephant on whose back my world was supported amble effortlessly along, rather than it being necessary for me to lean out from the howdah of my head and goad him. — Will Self, My Idea of Fun

2. An ornate carriage which is positioned on the back of elephants or occasionally other animals, used most often in the past for rich people who travelled in India via elephant.