grail

American  

[greyl] / greɪl /

noun

1. Sometimes Grail any greatly desired and sought-after objective; ultimate ideal or reward.

   The film's protagonist is defined by the struggle for his grail, a championship title he failed to win earlier in life.

2. Often the Grail Holy Grail.

   Weeks pass, and none of the knights return, so King Arthur himself must quest for the Grail.

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Grail British  

/ ɡreɪl /

noun

1. See Holy Grail

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Etymology

Origin of grail

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English graiel, graile, from Anglo-French grahel, grayel, Old French gräel, grel, from Medieval Latin gradālis “platter,” of uncertain origin; perhaps distantly connected to Latin crātēr “mixing bowl” ( crater ( def. ) ) or crātis “wickerwork” ( grate ¹ ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

It’s their holy grail and they’ve never been closer to getting it.

From Salon

That makes it the “holy grail” of clean energy, according to Ted Brandt, CEO of Marathon Capital, which advises and raises money for energy companies, including in geothermal.

From Barron's

I needed Ashwagandha — that was my holy grail at the time for my perimenopause journey, and I was out of it.

From Los Angeles Times

Guardiola's spending, though, has been matched by his success, delivering 18 trophies including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four Carabao Cups and the holy grail of the Champions League in 2023.

From BBC

These systems are designed to protect delicate quantum information and continue operating reliably despite errors and noise -- the holy grail of quantum information processing.

From Science Daily