shiva

or shi·vah

[ shiv-uh ]

/ ˈʃɪv ə /

Judaism.

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noun

the traditional seven-day period of mourning observed by Jews immediately following the funeral of a parent, sibling, child, or spouse.

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Idioms about shiva

sit shiva, to observe this period.

Also shi·bah .

Origin of shiva

First recorded in 1890–95; from Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew shibhʿāh “seven”

Words nearby shiva

Shittim, shittim wood, shitty, shiur, shiv, shiva, shivah, Shivah Asar Betammuz, shivaree, Shiva-Shakti, shive

Other definitions for shiva (2 of 2)

Shiva

[ shee-vuh ]

/ ˈʃi və /

noun Hinduism.

“the Destroyer,” the third member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver.

Also Si·va

[see-vuh, shee-vuh] /ˈsi və, ˈʃi və/ .

Origin of Shiva

From Sanskrit: literally, “the auspicious”

OTHER WORDS FROM Shiva

Shi·va·ism, nounShi·va·ist, nounShi·va·is·tic, adjective

How to use shiva in a sentence

While others planned funerals, sat shiva and laid their loved ones to rest, those close to Estelle Hedaya could only keep waiting to hear what had happened to the outgoing, adventurous New York native — this time, with a new loneliness.
The Surfside debris has been cleared, but one victim is still missing. Her loved ones want answers.|Brittany Shammas, Meryl Kornfield, Paulina Firozi|July 23, 2021|Washington Post
They didn’t care for the depiction of an actor dressed as the Hindu god Shiva.
Netflix v Modi and the battle for Indian cinema’s soul|Konstantin Kakaes|March 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review
How many times were the names of political prisoners such as Majid Tavakoli or Shiva Ahari raised?
How America’s Nuclear Deal Sold Out Iran’s Liberals|David Keyes & Ahmad Batebi|December 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Second, hundreds of more dissidents remain in jail: Shiva Ahari, Hossein Maleki, and Bahare Hedayat to name just a few.
Iran Rejails Political Prisoner Majid Tavakoli|David Keyes|November 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST

I noticed that my three main characters, Sarita, Karun and Jaz, formed a trinity just like Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi.
A Mathematically Impossible Novel: Manil Suri Explains “The City of Devi”|Manil Suri|March 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
After my father died, he came to the shiva on the fifth or sixth day and walked in with an ironic, pained, "How ya doing kid?"
In A Very Deep Way: Remembering Rabbi David Hartman|Bernard Avishai|February 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the Tantric model, it's Shakti who brings healing and enlightenment to the god Shiva, just as Neytiri does with Jake.
The Tantric Sex in Avatar|Asra Q. Nomani|March 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The adherents of Shiva bury their dead; the others either burn them or throw them into the river.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
A second vichara, nearly as handsome as this last, is called Laoka; the principal figure in this is Shiva.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
The Shiva temple at Madura is the more interesting as its towers are ornamented with six thousand idols.
Humanly Speaking|Samuel McChord Crothers
"Would you mind explaining first the philosophical idea of the four faces and eight hands of your Shiva," interrupted the padre.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
The material of which the pagodas consecrated to Shiva are constructed is black basalt.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky

British Dictionary definitions for shiva

Shiva

/ (ˈʃiːvə, ˈʃɪvə) /

noun

a variant spelling of Siva

Derived forms of Shiva

Shivaism, nounShivaist, noun, adjective

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