- holy of holies
- Etymology: translation of Late Latin sanctum sanctorum, translation of Hebrew qōdhesh haq-qŏdhāshīm Date: 1641 the innermost and most sacred chamber of the Jewish tabernacle and temple
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
holy of holies
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Holy of holies — Holy Ho ly, a. [Compar. {Holier}; superl. {Holiest}.] [OE. holi, hali, AS. h[=a]lig, fr. h[ae]l health, salvation, happiness, fr. h[=a]l whole, well; akin to OS. h?lag, D. & G. heilig, OHG. heilac, Dan. hellig, Sw. helig, Icel. heilagr. See… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
holy of holies — n [singular] 1.) humorous a special place where only a few people are allowed to go 2.) the Holy of Holies the most holy part of a Jewish temple … Dictionary of contemporary English
holy of holies — ► NOUN 1) historical the inner chamber of the sanctuary in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. 2) a place regarded as most sacred or special … English terms dictionary
holy of holies — n. [transl. of Heb qōdesh haqadōshim] 1. the innermost part of the Jewish tabernacle and Temple, where the ark of the covenant was kept 2. any most sacred place … English World dictionary
Holy of Holies — The Holy of Holies is a term in the Hebrew Bible which referred to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem which could be entered only by the High Priest on Yom Kippur. Contemporary Judaism and certain branches of… … Wikipedia
holy of holies — 1. a place of special sacredness. 2. the innermost chamber of the Biblical tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem, in which the ark of the covenant was kept. 3. Eastern Ch. the bema. [1350 1400; ME, trans. of LL sanctum sanctorum (Vulgate), trans … Universalium
holy of holies — [[t]ho͟ʊli əv ho͟ʊliz[/t]] N SING A holy of holies is a place that is so sacred that only particular people are allowed to enter; often used in informal English to refer humorously to a place where only a few special people can go. ...the holy of … English dictionary
Holy of Holies — noun a) The most sacred place within a sacred building. The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets;… … Wiktionary
holy of holies — 1. the vagina The kind of tasteless pun which a libertine like Frank Harris would relish: I want to see the Holy of Holies, the shrine of my idolatry. (F. Harris, 1925) 2. a lavatory Again a tasteless double pun on what should be… … How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms
holy of holies — noun 1. (sometimes upper case) the inner and smaller chamber of the Jewish tabernacle and temple entered only by the high priest and but once a year. 2. a place of special sacredness. 3. (often ironic) a cherished place: *here in the sweet… …
holy of holies — This term refers to the innermost part of the Temple in Jerusalem, which was the repository for the Ark of the Covenant; only the high priest was permitted to enter the holy of holies and then only once a year … Glossary of theological terms
