temple
1an edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities.
(usually initial capital letter) any of the three successive houses of worship in Jerusalem in use by the Jews in Biblical times, the first built by Solomon, the second by Zerubbabel, and the third by Herod.
a synagogue, usually a Reform or Conservative one.
an edifice erected as a place of public worship; a church, especially a large or imposing one.
any place or object in which God dwells, as the body of a Christian. 1 Corinthians 6:19.
(in France) a Protestant church.
(in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) a building devoted to administering sacred ordinances, principally that of eternal marriage.
a building, usually large or pretentious, devoted to some public use: a temple of music.
(initial capital letter) either of two establishments of the medieval Templars, one in London and the other in Paris.
(initial capital letter) either of two groups of buildings (Inner Temple and Middle Temple) on the site of the Templars' former establishment in London, occupied by two of the Inns of Court.
a building used by the Templars in the United States.
a building used by any of various fraternal orders.
Origin of temple
1Other words from temple
- templed, adjective
- tem·ple·like, adjective
- un·tem·pled, adjective
Words Nearby temple
Other definitions for temple (2 of 4)
Anatomy. the flattened region on either side of the forehead in human beings.
Zoology. a corresponding region in certain animals.
Ophthalmology. either of the sidepieces of a pair of eyeglasses extending back above and often around the ears.
Origin of temple
2Other definitions for temple (3 of 4)
a device in a loom for keeping the cloth stretched to the proper width during the weaving.
Origin of temple
3Other definitions for Temple (4 of 4)
Shirley Shirley Temple Black, 1928–2014, U.S. film actress, famous for child roles during the 1930s, and diplomat.
Sir William, 1628–99, English essayist and diplomat.
a city in central Texas.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use temple in a sentence
Celebrities flocked to this glamorous and buzzy temple of literature and culture.
The Bookstore That Bewitched Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Greta Garbo | Felice Picano | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Satanic temple wins these fights because they are small fights.
The Satanic temple won a battle to put a display in the Florida state capitol, but the religious right is fighting a bigger war.
Ambassador Shirley temple Black attributed this to the “deeply risk-averse psychology of the Czech people.”
She says she met Cosby, a temple alumnus and big-time donor to the university, in November 2002.
How Bill Cosby Allegedly Silenced His Accusers Through A Tabloid Smear Campaign | Marlow Stern | November 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
This was a vast building of classical design, resembling a Grecian temple.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsA child outside the temple of art hears its music before he sees its veiled beauties.
Children's Ways | James SullySimon the high priest, the son of Onias, who in his life propped up the house, and in his days fortified the temple.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousI prayed for her before the temple, and unto the very end I will seek after her, and she flourished as a grape soon ripe.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousA chair covered with red silk, borne on the shoulders of sixteen chair-men, passed up to the temple.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
British Dictionary definitions for temple (1 of 5)
/ (ˈtɛmpəl) /
a building or place dedicated to the worship of a deity or deities
a Mormon church
US another name for a synagogue
any Christian church, esp a large or imposing one
any place or object regarded as a shrine where God makes himself present, esp the body of a person who has been sanctified or saved by grace
a building regarded as the focus of an activity, interest, or practice: a temple of the arts
Origin of temple
1Derived forms of temple
- templed, adjective
- temple-like, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for temple (2 of 5)
/ (ˈtɛmpəl) /
the region on each side of the head in front of the ear and above the cheek bone: Related adjective: temporal
Origin of temple
2British Dictionary definitions for temple (3 of 5)
/ (ˈtɛmpəl) /
the part of a loom that keeps the cloth being woven stretched to the correct width
Origin of temple
3British Dictionary definitions for Temple (4 of 5)
/ (ˈtɛmpəl) /
either of two buildings in London and Paris that belonged to the Templars. The one in London now houses two of the chief law societies
any of three buildings or groups of buildings erected by the Jews in ancient Jerusalem for the worship of Jehovah
British Dictionary definitions for Temple (5 of 5)
/ (ˈtɛmpəl) /
Shirley, married name Shirley Temple Black. born 1928, US film actress and politician. Her films as a child star include Little Miss Marker (1934), Wee Willie Winkie (1937), and Heidi (1937). She was US ambassador to Ghana (1974–76) and to Czechoslovakia (1989–92)
Sir William. 1628–99, English diplomat and essayist. He negotiated the Triple Alliance (1668) and the marriage of William of Orange to Mary II
William. 1881–1944, English prelate and advocate of social reform; archbishop of Canterbury (1942–44)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for Temple
The central place of worship for the Israelites. The first Temple was built in Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) by King Solomon. The stone tablets received by Moses on Mount Sinai — tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written — were kept in the central chamber of Solomon's Temple. Solomon's Temple was later destroyed, as were two succeeding temples built on the site.
Notes for Temple
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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