hallow

American  

[hal-oh] / ˈhæl oʊ /

verb (used with object)

1. to make holy; sanctify; consecrate.

2. to honor as holy; consider sacred; venerate.

   to hallow a battlefield.

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hallow British  

/ ˈhæləʊ /

verb

1. to consecrate or set apart as being holy

2. to venerate as being holy

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Other Word Forms

• hallower noun

Etymology

Origin of hallow

First recorded before 900; Middle English hal(o)wen, Old English hālgian (cognate with German heiligen, Old Norse helga ), derivative of hālig “consecrated, sacred, holy”; holy

Example Sentences

To reach the most hallowed ground in figure skating, Liu had to retire at 16, unretire two years later, and come back as an entirely different skater with an unapologetically carefree approach.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It's an unbelievable story. To be in this place, it's hallowed ground."

From BBC

An AI-enhanced image depicting the moments before immigration agents shot an American nurse ricocheted across the internet -- and also made its way onto the hallowed floor of the US Senate.

From Barron's

“The most important videos were filmed there. People come here just to see it because they feel like they’re on hallowed ground.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He looked at the Rose Bowl as hallowed ground.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• sanctify