sanctum sanctorum
[ sangk-tawr-uh m, -tohr- ]
/ sæŋkˈtɔr əm, -ˈtoʊr- /
noun
the holy of holies of the Biblical tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem.
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Origin of sanctum sanctorum
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin sānctum sānctōrum, translation of Hebrew qōdhesh haqqodhāshīm holy of holies
Words nearby sanctum sanctorum
sanctity, sanctuary, sanctuary city, sanctuary lamp, sanctum, sanctum sanctorum, sanctus, sanctus bell, sanctus turret, sand, sand bar
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for sanctum sanctorum
The grand parlor was the sanctum-sanctorum where the passion for cleaning was indulged without control.
Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 8|Charles H. Sylvester
British Dictionary definitions for sanctum sanctorum
sanctum sanctorum
/ (sæŋkˈtɔːrəm) /
noun
Bible another term for the holy of holies
often facetious an especially private place
Word Origin for sanctum sanctorum
C14: from Latin, literally: holy of holies, rendering Hebrew qōdesh haqqodāshīm
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for sanctum sanctorum
sanctum sanctorum
[ (sangk-tuhm sangk-tawr-uhm) ]
Latin for “holy of holies.” The place in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. By extension, a sacred and private place.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.