menorah

[ muh-nawr-uh, -nohr-uh ]
See synonyms for: menorahmenorahs on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a candelabrum having seven branches (as used in the Biblical tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem), or any number of branches (as used in modern synagogues).

  2. a candelabrum having nine branches, for use on the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

Origin of menorah

1
First recorded in 1885–90, menorah is from the Hebrew word mənōrāh literally, lampstand

Words Nearby menorah

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British Dictionary definitions for menorah

menorah

/ (mɪˈnɔːrə, Hebrew məˈnɑʊrɔ) /


nounJudaism
  1. a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple and now an emblem of Judaism and the badge of the state of Israel

  2. a candelabrum having eight branches and a shammes that is lit during the festival of Hanukkah

Origin of menorah

1
from Hebrew: candlestick

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 menorah

menorah

A nine-branched candelabrum used during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The center candle, or “starter,” is used to light the other eight candles, with one additional candle lit on each subsequent evening of the celebration.

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.