Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

menorah


Listen Later

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2024 is:

menorah • \muh-NOR-uh\  • noun

A menorah is a candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish worship.

// At sundown on the first night of Hanukkah, Elliott's father helped him light the first candle on the menorah.

See the entry >

Examples:

"Rich with history and laced with just a bit of latke grease, Hanukkah is a time for Jews to gather with family and friends and retell a fabled story of resistance. While certain symbols of the holiday like the menorah (a decorative candelabra) and the dreidel (a four-sided spinning top) may be more easily recognizable in popular culture, there is plenty more to learn about Hanukkah and why it is celebrated." — Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 7 Dec. 2023

Did you know?

In English, menorah was originally the name for the seven-branched candelabra used in Jewish worship. The nine-branched Hanukkah candelabra is called hanukkiah in Hebrew, but English speakers came to use menorah for this too. The Hanukkah menorah recalls expulsion by Judah Maccabee of invading forces from the Temple of Jerusalem. Maccabee and his followers sought oil for the temple’s menorah so that the sanctuary could be rededicated, but they found only enough oil for a single day. Miraculously, that tiny amount of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply could be obtained. The Hanukkah menorah includes a candle for each day the oil burned, plus the shammes, a "servant candle" that is used to light the others.



...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Merriam-Webster's Word of the DayBy Merriam-Webster

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

1,238 ratings


More shows like Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

View all
TED Talks Daily by TED

TED Talks Daily

11,183 Listeners

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by QuickAndDirtyTips.com

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

2,834 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,065 Listeners

Learn English | EnglishClass101.com by EnglishClass101.com

Learn English | EnglishClass101.com

849 Listeners

IELTS Energy English 7+ by Lindsay McMahon, Jessica Beck, Aubrey Carter

IELTS Energy English 7+

420 Listeners

Science Quickly by Scientific American

Science Quickly

1,379 Listeners

All Ears English Podcast by Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan

All Ears English Podcast

2,301 Listeners

Real English Conversations Podcast – Real English for Global Professionals | Speak Clearly & Confidently at Work by Real English Conversations: Amy Whitney & Curtis Davies - English Podcast

Real English Conversations Podcast – Real English for Global Professionals | Speak Clearly & Confidently at Work

412 Listeners

RealLife English: Learn and Speak Confident, Natural English by RealLife English

RealLife English: Learn and Speak Confident, Natural English

474 Listeners

Round Table China by China Plus

Round Table China

151 Listeners

Speak English Now Podcast: Learn English | Speak English without grammar. by Georgiana, founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com

Speak English Now Podcast: Learn English | Speak English without grammar.

566 Listeners

Life Kit by NPR

Life Kit

4,379 Listeners

Headline News by China Plus

Headline News

12 Listeners

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques by Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

813 Listeners

Confident Business English by Anna Connelly

Confident Business English

154 Listeners