shofar

American  

[shoh-fer, shaw-fahr, shoh-fuhr, shoh-fahr] / ˈʃoʊ fər, ʃɔˈfɑr, ˈʃoʊ fər, ʃoʊˈfɑr /

Or shophar

noun

Judaism.

shofars, plural shofroth, plural shofrot, plural shofros plural

1. a ram's horn blown as a wind instrument, sounded in Biblical times chiefly to communicate signals in battle and announce certain religious occasions and in modern times chiefly at synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

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shofar British  

/ ˈʃəʊfɑː, ʃɔˈfar /

noun

1. Judaism a ram's horn sounded in the synagogue daily during the month of Elul and repeatedly on Rosh Hashanah, and by the ancient Israelites as a warning, summons, etc

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Etymology

Origin of shofar

First recorded in 1860–65, from Hebrew shōphār “ram's horn”

Example Sentences

When the blast of the shofar ushered in the new year, I thought about the soul-searching happening inside everyone around me.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2024

“It’s perverse … to use the shofar, which is played during religious ceremonies, to announce himself,” said Pablo Gorodneff, secretary-general of the progressive Argentine Jewish Appeal group.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 2, 2024

“She sleeps here in peace — she was deeply loved,” reads the Greek inscription on a marble plaque etched with Jewish symbols — a palm branch, a menorah, a shofar.

From New York Times • May 1, 2023

The shofar, a ritualistic musical horn most often made from a ram’s horn, has been used in Jewish ceremonies and festivals for centuries.

From Slate • Sep. 23, 2022

With his philacteries wound around his arm, he should be placed before the Ark and, amidst burning candles and to the accompaniment of shofar blasts, made to recite a lengthy awe-inspiring oath.

From History of the Jews in Russia and Poland. Volume II From the death of Alexander I. until the death of Alexander III. (1825-1894) by Friedlaender, I.