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churinga

[choo-ring-guh]
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noun, plural chu·rin·ga, chu·rin·gas.
  1. 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for churinga

Historical Examples

  • They are: but I was speaking of Australian churinga nanja, of stone.

    The Clyde Mystery

    Andrew Lang

  • Among the Kaitish thunder is caused by the churinga of their “sky dweller,” Atnatu.

  • Women may not go near these sacred stores, nor may they see a churinga.

  • All these churinga are kept at sacred central stores, caves, or crevices.

  • These churinga are of various sizes, down to a foot or less in length.

British Dictionary definitions for churinga

churinga

noun plural -ga or -gas
  1. a sacred amulet of the native Australians
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Word Origin

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