menorah

[muh-nawr-uh, -nohr-uh]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR menorah ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a candelabrum having seven branches (as used in the Biblical tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem), or any number of branches (as used in modern synagogues).

a candelabrum having nine branches, for use on the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

Origin of menorah

First recorded in 1885–90, menorah is from the Hebrew word mənōrāh literally, lampstand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for menorah

candelabra, sconce, pricket, menorah

Examples from the Web for menorah

Contemporary Examples of menorah

Plenty of Jewish kids today grow up with a Christmas tree next to their menorah.
Harry Potter and the Torah of Terror
Candida Moss, Joel Baden
January 4, 2015
There is no menorah in the Gryffindor common room or any mention of Chanukah in any Harry Potter book.
Matisyahu’s 10 Things to Help a Jew Get Through Christmas Season
Matisyahu
December 19, 2011
They ask which holiday is represented by the menorah behind them.
Israeli Government Tells Israelis Not to Marry American Jews
Allison Yarrow
December 1, 2011
More than menorah lighting and dreidel spinning, Hanukkah is known for its culinary delicacy, latkes.
Mouth-Watering Potato Pancakes
Jacquelynn D. Powers
December 1, 2010

Historical Examples of menorah

See for other particulars the above quoted article in Menorah, note.
The American Jew as Patriot, Soldier and Citizen
Simon Wolf
Gleaming brass, its seven uplifting arms gracefully curved, stood a—Menorah!
The Seven-Branched Candlestick
Gilbert W. (Gilbert Wolf) Gabriel

British Dictionary definitions for menorah

menorah

noun Judaism

a seven-branched candelabrum used in the Temple and now an emblem of Judaism and the badge of the state of Israel

a candelabrum having eight branches and a shammes that is lit during the festival of Hanukkah

Word Origin for menorah

from Hebrew: candlestick

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

Word Origin and History for menorah

1886, from Hebrew menorah "candlestick," from Semitic stem n-w-r "to give light, shine" (cf. Arabic nar "fire," manarah "candlestick, lighthouse, tower of a mosque," see minaret).

menorah in Culture

menorah

A nine-branched candelabrum used during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The center candle, or “starter,” is used to light the other eight candles, with one additional candle lit on each subsequent evening of the celebration.