afikomen

American  

[ah-fee-koh-muhn] / ˌɑ fiˈkoʊ mən /

Or afikoman

noun

Judaism.

1. a piece of matzo broken off from the center one of the three matzoth set before the leader of a Seder: it is hidden by the leader and later searched for by the children, with the finder, usually the youngest, receiving a reward.

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Etymology

Origin of afikomen

1890–95; < Yiddish afikoymen < Hebrew aphīgōmān < Greek epikṓmion revel, noun use of neuter of epikṓmios of a revel, equivalent to epi- epi- + kôm ( os ) revel + -ios adj. suffix

Example Sentences

From personal experience as both a kid and an adult, I’d argue that the ritual of hiding the afikomen is, in part, an effort to keep young minds and bodies engaged through a lengthy Seder.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2020

The best idea came from my rabbi: have the kids spend an hour hiding the afikomen.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2020

Example: “I suggest the afikomen was hidden by Uncle Al under the couch cushions!”

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2020

To win, three to six players or teams compete to answer who hid the afikomen, how, and where.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2020

He jokes about his daughters hiding the afikomen and attending bat mitzvahs.

From Slate • Sep. 2, 2015