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holy water

American

noun

water blessed by a priest.

holy water British

noun

water that has been blessed by a priest for use in symbolic rituals of purification

"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

Etymology

Origin of holy water

before 900; Middle English haliwater, Old English hāligwæter

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

holy water

McAleese carries holy water and offers to pray with any one who seeks prayer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025

Someone else suggests summoning a priest and holy water.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2025

The holy water is in a Styrofoam cup.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2023

Fan culture has long nourished the sentiment that extraordinary talent should, in some cases, operate as a kind of holy water washing away the sins of a problematic artist.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2023

After the priest sprinkled holy water over Anna’s casket, Mollie guided her family and the other mourners to a cemetery in Gray Horse, a quiet, isolated spot overlooking the endless prairie.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023