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definitions

shrine

[ shrahyn ]
/ ʃraɪn /
|
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noun

a building or other shelter, often of a stately or sumptuous character, enclosing the remains or relics of a saint or other holy person and forming an object of religious veneration and pilgrimage.
any place or object hallowed by its history or associations: a historic shrine.
any structure or place consecrated or devoted to some saint, holy person, or deity, as an altar, chapel, church, or temple.
a receptacle for sacred relics; a reliquary.

verb (used with object), shrined, shrin·ing.

to enshrine.

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RELATED WORDS

sanctuary, altar, church, mausoleum, temple, chapel, sepulcher, sanctum, grave, reliquary, enshrinement

Nearby words

  1. shrill,
  2. shrimp,
  3. shrimp plant,
  4. shrimper,
  5. shrimpfish,
  6. shriner,
  7. shrink,
  8. shrink fit,
  9. shrink-wrap,
  10. shrink-wrapped

Origin of shrine

before 1000; Middle English schrine, Old English scrīn (cognate with German Schrein, Dutch schrijn) < Latin scrīnium case for books and papers
Related formsshrine·less, adjectiveshrine·like, adjectiveun·shrined, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shrine

British Dictionary definitions for shrine

shrine

/ (ʃraɪn) /

noun

a place of worship hallowed by association with a sacred person or object
a container for sacred relics
the tomb of a saint or other holy person
a place or site venerated for its association with a famous person or event
RC Church a building, alcove, or shelf arranged as a setting for a statue, picture, or other representation of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a saint

verb

short for enshrine
Derived Formsshrinelike, adjective

Word Origin for shrine

Old English scrīn, from Latin scrīnium bookcase; related to Old Norse skrin, Old High German skrīni
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

Word Origin and History for shrine

shrine

n.

Old English scrin "ark (of the covenant); chest, coffer; case for relics," from Latin scrinium "case or box for keeping papers," of unknown origin. From late 14c. as "a tomb of a saint" (usually elaborate and large). A widespread word, cf. Dutch schrijn, German Schrein, French écrin, Russian skrynya, Lithuanian skrine.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper