Holy Grail

or ho·ly grail

[ hoh-lee greyl ]

/ ˈhoʊ li ˈgreɪl /

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noun

Arthurian Legend, Teutonic Legend. a cup or chalice that in medieval legend was associated with unusual powers, especially the regeneration of life and, later, Christian purity, and was much sought after by medieval knights: identified with the cup used at the Last Supper and given to Joseph of Arimathea: Wagner adapted the story of his opera Parsifal from the medieval legends of the search for the Holy Grail.

grail (def. 1): Brisket is the Holy Grail of barbecue because it's considered so difficult to cook well.

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Origin of Holy Grail

First recorded in 1580–90

Words nearby Holy Grail

holy day, holy day of obligation, Holy Family, Holy Father, Holy Ghost, Holy Grail, holy grass, Holyhead, Holy Hour, Holy Innocents' Day, Holy Island

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

How to use Holy Grail in a sentence

Rather than offering a subscription service, Holy Grail allows you to create your own curated meal box from its roster of quality meats.
The Best Food Subscription Boxes for Everyone on Your Gift List|klindsey|December 16, 2021|Outside Online
The Via Dolorosa ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and is marked by nine stations of the cross.
Oops! Jesus’ Last Steps Are in the Wrong Place|Candida Moss|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“You were going to work your way into my marriage and you were going to call its new three-way shape holy” the narrator recounts.
A Novel Nearly Impossible to Review|Nicholas Mancusi|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because holy hell was that bland, unfunny, uncomfortable, and just plain confusing.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And he was indicted in Israel last week on charges he plotted to blow up sites holy to Islam.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist|Creede Newton|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Israelis often are amused and appalled by the crazies attracted to the Holy Land, and not only for religious reasons.
The Strange Case of the Christian Zionist Terrorist|Creede Newton|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After his death crowds flocked to his grave to touch his holy monument, till the authorities caused the church yard to be shut.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
His holy book says: There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just men.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Their sin began on Holy Thursday, with so little secrecy and so bad an example, that the affair was beginning to leak out.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
All these things shall be for good to the holy, so to the sinners and the ungodly they shall be turned into evil.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The spread of the holy gospel and uninterrupted preaching went on until the return of the ambassador.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Holy Grail

Holy Grail

noun

Also called: Grail, Sangraal (in medieval legend) the bowl used by Jesus at the Last Supper. It was allegedly brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, where it became the quest of many knights
(in modern spirituality) a symbol of the spiritual wholeness that leads a person to union with the divine

informal any desired ambition or goalthe Holy Grail of infrared astronomy

Word Origin for Holy Grail

C14 grail from Old French graal, from Medieval Latin gradālis bowl, of unknown origin

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