churinga

[ choo-ring-guh ]

/ tʃʊˈrɪŋ gə /

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noun, plural chu·rin·ga, chu·rin·gas.

an object carved from wood or stone by Aboriginal tribes in central Australia and held by them to be sacred.

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Origin of churinga

First recorded in 1895–1900, churinga is from the Aranda word jwerreŋe

Words nearby churinga

churchwoman, churchy, churchyard, churchyard beetle, churidars, churinga, churl, churlish, churn, churn drill, churning

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use churinga in a sentence

"Churinga" in Australia are greased with the natural moisture of the palm of the hand, and rubbed with red ochre.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1|Andrew Lang
Again, they inform us that the churinga belief, and the existence of stone churinga, are things isolated.
The Secret of the Totem|Andrew Lang
Mr. Lang knew nothing of the Arunta churinga till I drew his attention to the subject.
The Secret of the Totem|Andrew Lang
Again we read, "Many of the churinga were placed in the ground, some natural object again marking the spot."
The Secret of the Totem|Andrew Lang

Can the Churinga nanja and reincarnation beliefs have set up nescience of obvious facts among the Arunta?
The Secret of the Totem|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for churinga

churinga

/ (tʃəˈrɪŋɡə) /

noun plural -ga or -gas

a sacred amulet of the native Australians

Word Origin for churinga

from a native Australian language

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