Torah

or To·ra

[ toh-ruh, tawr-uh; Sephardic Hebrew toh-rah; Ashkenazic Hebrew toh-ruh, toi-ruh ]

/ ˈtoʊ rə, ˈtɔr ə; Sephardic Hebrew toʊˈrɑ; Ashkenazic Hebrew ˈtoʊ rə, ˈtɔɪ rə /

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noun (sometimes lowercase)

the Pentateuch, being the first of the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament.Compare Tanach.

a parchment scroll on which the Pentateuch is written, used in synagogue services.

the entire body of Jewish religious literature, law, and teaching as contained chiefly in the Old Testament and the Talmud.

law or instruction.

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Origin of Torah

From the Hebrew word tōrāh instruction, law

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Torah in a sentence

Two and a half months later, Abdullah was transferred to the Tora prison complex in southern Cairo, where he now resides.
Al Jazeera Journo Abdullah El-Shamy Goes On Hunger Strike In Egyptian Jail|Jonathan Krohn|March 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Osama bin Laden was far from alone at Tora Bora when American military units had him within their reach.
How Al Qaeda Escaped Afghanistan and Lived to Fight Another Day|Yaniv Barzilai|March 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Right now, thousands of miles away from his family in Tora Prison, Greste is certainly grateful for the global support.
Kids' Author on Trial In Egypt|Nina Strochlic|February 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But from Tora Bora onward, political life in America became one frustration after the next.
Dear Frank Luntz: Here’s How to Be Happy Again|James Poulos|January 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It was no secret that the core of al Qaeda retreated to Tora Bora in the previous weeks.
How Bin Laden Escaped in 2001—The lessons of Tora Bora|Yaniv Barzilai|December 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Tora and she were at one on the point, though it was not put too bluntly between them.
Mrs. Maxon Protests|Anthony Hope
Tora had taken her line and at once conceived hesitation to be impossible.
Mrs. Maxon Protests|Anthony Hope
Tora had put it into her head, of course, Godfrey thought angrily.
Mrs. Maxon Protests|Anthony Hope
"Well, if he doesn't agree with what we're doing, I think he's right not to stay," said Tora.
Mrs. Maxon Protests|Anthony Hope
"Of course not, dear," remarked Tora, as she went off to her roses.
Mrs. Maxon Protests|Anthony Hope

British Dictionary definitions for Torah

Torah

/ (ˈtəʊrə, Hebrew tɔˈra) /

noun

the Pentateuch
the scroll on which this is written, used in synagogue services

the whole body of traditional Jewish teaching, including the Oral Law

(modifier) promoting or according with traditional Jewish Law

Word Origin for Torah

C16: from Hebrew: precept, from yārāh to instruct

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

Cultural definitions for Torah

Torah

[ (toh-ruh, tawr-uh, toy-ruh) ]

The law on which Judaism is founded (torah is Hebrew for “law”). This law is contained in the first five books of the Bible (see also Bible) (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Torah can also refer to the entire body of Jewish law and wisdom, including what is contained in oral tradition.