Yom Kippur

American  

[yawm kip-er, yohm, yom, yawm kee-poor, yohm ki-puhr] / yɔm ˈkɪp ər, yoʊm, yɒm, ˈyɔm kiˈpur, yoʊm ˈkɪ pər /

noun

Judaism.

1. a Jewish high holy day observed on the 10th day of the month of Tishri by abstinence from food and drink and by the daylong recitation of prayers of repentance in the synagogue.

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Yom Kippur British  

/ jɔm kiˈpur, jɒm ˈkɪpə /

noun

1. Also called: Day of Atonement.  an annual Jewish holiday celebrated on Tishri 10 as a day of fasting, on which prayers of penitence are recited in the synagogue throughout the day

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Yom Kippur Cultural  

1. In Judaism, the Day of Atonement, the most important religious holiday; a day of fasting to atone for sins. It comes in autumn. (See Rosh Hashanah.)

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Etymology

Origin of Yom Kippur

From Hebrew, equivalent to yōm “day” + kippūr “atonement”

Example Sentences

The rabbi said the attack, which happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar, made this year's Holocaust Memorial Day "more poignant".

From BBC

The pair arrived in the country just months before the Yom Kippur war in 1973, when a surprise attack by Egypt and Syria overran Israel’s front line.

From The Wall Street Journal

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egypt and other Arab nations mounted a surprise attack on Israel and scored early victories.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr Finlay said he was "shocked but not surprised" by what unfolded on Yom Kippur.

From BBC

Worshippers had gathered there for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

From Barron's