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shittim wood

American  
[shit-im] / ˈʃɪt ɪm /

noun

  1. the wood, probably acacia, of which the ark of the covenant and various parts of the tabernacle were made. Exodus 25, 26.

  2. cascara.

  3. false buckthorn.


shittim wood British  
/ ˈʃɪtɪm /

noun

  1. Old Testament a kind of wood, probably acacia, from which the Ark of the Covenant and parts of the tabernacle were made

"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 shittim wood

First recorded in 1580–90; ultimately from Hebrew shiṭṭīm, plural of shiṭṭāh “the acacia tree” (probably) ; shittah )

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.

And then it goes on to 'blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood.'

From Expositions of Holy Scripture by Maclaren, Alexander

Mr. Carlile: Is it not actually the case, that God is represented in the text as dwelling in a box of shittim wood in the temple?

From The Battle of The Press As Told in the Story of the Life of Richard Carlile By His Daughter, Theophila Carlile Campbell by Campbell, Theophila Carlile

Peter Harrison, an annotator on the Pentateuch, observed of Moses' two tables of stone that they were made of shittim wood.

From Literary Blunders by Wheatley, Henry Benjamin

The ties appear to have been of the tamarisk or shittim wood, of which the ark was constructed—a sacred tree in ancient Egypt, and now very rarely found in the valley of the Nile.

From Harper's Young People, June 1, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly by Various

Shittim furthermore signifies "follies," hence Israel were to construct the place of penance for their folly in adoring the Golden Calf, out of shittim wood, to atone for this "folly."

From The Legends of the Jews — Volume 3 by Radin, Paul