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baetyl

[beet-l]
noun Classical Antiquity.
  1. a meteorite or stone held sacred or believed to be of divine origin.
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Also bae·tu·lus [bee-chuh-luh s, beet-l-uh s] /ˈbi tʃə ləs, ˈbit l əs/, bae·ty·lus [beet-l-uh s] /ˈbit l əs/.

Origin of baetyl

1850–55; < Latin baetulus < Greek baítȳlos meteoric stone
Related formsbae·tyl·ic [bee-til-ik] /biˈtɪl ɪk/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for baetyl

Historical Examples

  • This pillar can hardly be anything but a baetyl, or sacred stone.

    Rough Stone Monuments and Their Builders

    T. Eric Peet

  • At the foot of one of the trilithons was found a baetyl 51 inches in height, now in the museum at Valletta.

  • It has been suggested that this pit was made to hold the base of the cult-object, whether it was a baetyl or an idol.