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tefillin

American  
[tuh-fil-in, tuh-fee-leen] / təˈfɪl ɪn, tə fiˈlin /
Or tephillin

plural noun

Judaism.
  1. the phylacteries.


Etymology

Origin of tefillin

1605–15; < Hebrew təphillīn, akin to təphillāh prayer


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.

See Examples For:

That rope that tied him to us is still wound around us, like our tefillin, and it always will be.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

"It's the first time that he is wearing tefillin", Bandel said enthusiastically, referring to the small black leather boxes containing Torah scrolls.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026

Turns out he was there to conduct a tefillin ceremony.

From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2023

Rising on Friday to shared meals and coffee, the protesters dismantled their tents as others prayed with their arms wrapped in tefillin before they all began marching again towards Jerusalem and the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023

When I finished praying, I took off the tefillin and put them and the prayer book back in the drawer.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

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