shammes
or sha·mes
[ shah-muhs ]
noun,plural sham·mo·sim [shah-maw-sim]. /ʃɑˈmɔ sɪm/.
the candle used to kindle the candles in the Hanukkah menorah.
Origin of shammes
11945–50; <Yiddish shames<Hebrew shammāsh server, attendant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for shammes
shammes
shammash
/ (ˈʃɑːməs, Hebrew ʃaˈmaʃ) /
nounplural shammosim or shammashim (Hebrew ʃaˈmɔsɪm) Judaism
an official acting as the beadle, sexton, and caretaker of a synagogue
the extra candle used on the Feast of Hanukkah to kindle the lamps or candles of the menorah
Origin of shammes
1from Hebrew shāmmāsh, from Aramaic shĕmāsh to serve
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
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