mikvah

American  

[mee-kvah, mik-vuh] / miˈkvɑ, ˈmɪk və /

Or mikveh

noun

Hebrew.

plural

mikvoth, mikvot, mikvos,

plural

mikvahs

1. a ritual bath to which Orthodox Jews are traditionally required to go on certain occasions, as before the Sabbath and after each menstrual period, to cleanse and purify themselves.

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mikvah British  

/ mikˈvɑ, ˈmikvə /

noun

1. Judaism a pool used esp by women for ritual purification after their monthly period

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Etymology

Origin of mikvah

from Hebrew

Example Sentences

To be kosher, a new mikvah must be initiated with “living water,” taken straight from nature.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2024

They bathed in a ritual bath, or mikvah, on the banks of the Gera River and buried their dead in a large cemetery just outside the city walls.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 30, 2022

For many observant Jewish women, mikvah visits have long been meant to be discreet, carried out in the evening without any notice to family members.

From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2020

A state offering a construction grant couldn’t bar synagogues from applying to build a new mikvah or mosques from asking for money to repair a minaret.

From Slate • Jun. 27, 2017

"It is a mikvah," she says in a French accent.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper