The Wordsmith Dictionary

Ho ly field, Evander |ˈhōlēˌfēld ˈhoʊlifild | (1962 –), US boxer. He was a four-time world heavyweight champion 1990 –92, 1993 –94, 1996 –99, and 2000 –2001.

holy fool

ho ly fool ▶noun a person who appears unintelligent and unsophisticated but who has other redeeming qualities.

Holy Ghost

Ho ly Ghost |ˈˌhoʊli ˈɡoʊst | ▶noun another term for Holy Spirit.

Holy Grail

Ho ly Grail |ˈˌhoʊli ˈɡreɪl | ▶noun see grail.

Holyhead

Holyhead |ˈhɒlɪhɛd | a port on Holy Island in Wales, off Anglesey; pop. 11,800 (est. 2009 ). It is the chief port for ferries between the British mainland and Ireland.

Holy Innocents' Day

Ho ly In no cents' Day ▶noun see Innocents' Day.

Holy Island

Holy Is ¦land |ˈhəʊliʌɪlənd | 1 another name for Lindisfarne. 2 a small island off the western coast of Anglesey in North Wales. It contains the ferry port of Holyhead. Welsh name Caergybi.

Holy Joe

Ho ly Joe ▶noun informal a sanctimonious or pious man. • a clergyman. ORIGIN late 19th cent.: originally nautical slang.

Holy Land

Ho ly Land a region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in what is now Israel and Palestine, revered by Christians as the place in which Jesus Christ lived and taught, by Jews as the land given to the people of Israel, and by Muslims. • a region similarly revered, for example, Arabia in Islam.

Holy League

Ho ly League any of various European alliances sponsored by the papacy during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. They include the League of 1511 –13, formed by Pope Julius II to expel Louis XII of France from Italy, and the French Holy League (also called the Catholic League ) of 1576 and 1584, a Catholic extremist league formed during the French Wars of Religion.

Holy Name

Ho ly Name ▶noun (esp. in the Catholic Church ) the name of Jesus as an object of formal devotion.

Holyoake, Sir Keith

Holyoake, Sir Keith |ˈhəʊlɪəʊk | (1904 –83 ), New Zealand statesman, Prime Minister 1957 and 1960 –72, Governor General 1977 –80; full name Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake.

Holy Office

Ho ly Of fice the ecclesiastical court of the Roman Catholic Church established as the final court of appeal in trials of heresy. Formed in 1542 as part of the Inquisition, it was renamed the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1965.

holy of holies

ho ly of ho lies |ˈhōlē əv ˈhōlēz ˌhoʊli əv ˈhoʊliz | ▶noun the inner chamber of the sanctuary in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, separated by a veil from the outer chamber. It was reserved for the presence of God and could be entered only by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. • a place regarded as most sacred or special: she had done the wrong thing, venturing into this holy of holies.

Holyoke

Hol yoke |ˈhōlēˌōk, ˈhō (l )ˌyōk ˈhoʊlioʊk | an industrial city in west central Massachusetts, northwest of Springfield; pop. 39,947 (est. 2008 ).

holy orders

ho ly or ders |ˈhoʊli ˈɔrdərz | ▶plural noun the sacrament or rite of ordination as a member of the Christian clergy, esp. in the grades of bishop, priest, or deacon. PHRASES in holy orders having the status of an ordained member of the clergy. take holy orders become an ordained member of the clergy.

holy place

ho ly place ▶noun a place revered as holy, typically one to which religious pilgrimage is made. • historical the outer chamber of the sanctuary in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Holy Roller

Ho ly Roll er ▶noun informal, derogatory a member of an evangelical Christian group that expresses religious fervor by frenzied excitement or trances.

Holy Roman Empire

Ho ly Ro man Em pire the empire set up in western Europe following the coronation of Charlemagne as emperor in the year 800. It was created by the medieval papacy in an attempt to unite Christendom under one rule. At times the territory of the empire was extensive and included Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Italy and the Netherlands.

Holy Rood Day

Holy Rood Day ▶noun 1 the day on which the feast of the Invention of the Cross is held, 3 May. 2 another term for Holy Cross Day.

Holy Saturday

Ho ly Sat ur day ▶noun the Saturday preceding Easter Sunday.

Holy Scripture

Ho ly Scrip ture ▶noun the sacred writings of Christianity contained in the Bible.

Holy See

Ho ly See |ˈˌhoʊli ˈsi | the papacy or the papal court; those associated with the pope in the government of the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican. Also called See of Rome.

Holy Sepulcher

Ho ly Sep ul cher the place in which the body of Jesus was laid after being taken down from the Cross. • the church in Jerusalem erected over the traditional site of this tomb.

Holy Spirit

Ho ly Spir it |ˈˌhoʊli ˈspɪrɪt | ▶noun (in Christianity ) the third person of the Trinity; God as spiritually active in the world.

Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity

Ho ly Spir it As so ci a tion for the U ni fi ca tion of World Chris ti an i ty another name for Unification Church.

holystone

ho ly stone |ˈhōlēˌstōn ˈhoʊlistoʊn |chiefly historical ▶noun a piece of soft sandstone used for scouring the decks of ships. ▶verb [ with obj. ] scour (a deck ) with a holystone. ORIGIN early 19th cent.: probably from holy + stone. Sailors called the stones “bibles ” or “prayer books,” perhaps because they scrubbed the decks on their knees.

holy terror

ho ly ter ror ▶noun see terror ( sense 2 ).

Holy Thursday

Ho ly Thurs day ▶noun 1 (chiefly in the Roman Catholic Church ) Maundy Thursday. 2 dated (in the Anglican Church ) Ascension Day.

Holy Trinity

Ho ly Trin i ty ▶noun see trinity.

holy war

ho ly war ▶noun a war declared or waged in support of a religious cause.

holy water

ho ly wa ter |ˈhoʊli ˈwɔdər | ▶noun water blessed by a priest and used in religious ceremonies.

Holy Week

Ho ly Week |ˈˌhoʊli ˈwik | ▶noun the week before Easter, starting on Palm Sunday.

Holy Writ

Ho ly Writ |ˈˌhoʊli ˈrɪt | ▶noun the Bible. • writings or sayings of unchallenged authority.

Holy Year

Ho ly Year ▶noun (in the Roman Catholic Church ) a period of remission from the penal consequences of sin, granted under certain conditions for a year usually at intervals of twenty-five years.

Oxford Dictionary

holy

holy |ˈhəʊli | ▶adjective ( holier, holiest ) 1 dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred: the Holy Bible | the holy month of Ramadan. • (of a person ) devoted to the service of God: saints and holy men. • morally and spiritually excellent: I do not lead a holy life. 2 dated or humorous used in exclamations of surprise or dismay: holy smoke! ORIGIN Old English hālig, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German heilig, also to whole .

Holy Alliance

Holy Alliance a loose alliance of European powers pledged to uphold the principles of the Christian religion. It was proclaimed at the Congress of Vienna (1814 –15 ) by the emperors of Austria and Russia and the king of Prussia and was joined by most other European monarchs.

Holy Ark

Holy Ark ▶noun see ark ( sense 2 ).

holy basil

ho ly bas il ▶noun a kind of basil that is venerated by Hindus as a sacred plant. Also called tulsi. [Ocimum sanctum, family Labiatae. ]

holy city

holy city ▶noun a city held sacred by the adherents of a religion. • ( the Holy City ) Jerusalem. • ( the Holy City ) (in Christian tradition ) Heaven.

Holy Communion

Holy Com |mu ¦nion ▶noun see communion ( sense 2 ).

Holy Cross Day

Holy Cross Day ▶noun the day on which the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross is held, 14 September.

holy day

holy day |ˈhəʊlideɪ | ▶noun a day on which a religious observance is held.

holy day of obligation

holy day of obligation ▶noun (in the Roman Catholic Church ) a day on which Roman Catholics are required to attend Mass.

Holy Family

Holy Family Christ as a child with Mary and Joseph (and often also others such as John the Baptist or St Anne ), especially as a subject for a painting.

Holy Father

Holy Father ▶noun the Pope.

Holyfield, Evander

Ho ly field, Evander |ˈhōlēˌfēld ˈhoʊlifild | (1962 –), US boxer. He was a four-time world heavyweight champion 1990 –92, 1993 –94, 1996 –99, and 2000 –2001.

holy fool

holy fool ▶noun a person who does not conform to social norms of behaviour because of mental disability or as a deliberate choice, regarded as having a compensating divine blessing or inspiration. ORIGIN translating Russian yurodivy, a term first used by Pushkin in the blank verse drama Boris Godunov (1831 ).

Holy Ghost

Holy Ghost ▶noun another term for Holy Spirit.

Holy Grail

Holy Grail ▶noun see grail.

Holyhead

Holyhead |ˈhɒlɪhɛd | a port on Holy Island in Wales, off Anglesey; pop. 11,800 (est. 2009 ). It is the chief port for ferries between the British mainland and Ireland.

Holy Innocents' Day

Holy Innocents' Day ▶noun see Innocents' Day.

Holy Island

Holy Is ¦land |ˈhəʊliʌɪlənd | 1 another name for Lindisfarne. 2 a small island off the western coast of Anglesey in North Wales. It contains the ferry port of Holyhead. Welsh name Caergybi.

Holy Joe

Holy Joe ▶noun informal a clergyman. • (also Holy Mary ) a sanctimonious or pious person. ORIGIN late 19th cent.: originally nautical slang.

Holy Land

Holy Land a region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, in what is now Israel and Palestine, revered by Christians as the place in which Christ lived and taught, by Jews as the land given to the people of Israel, and by Muslims. • another region revered as holy, for example, Arabia in Islam.

Holy League

Holy League any of various European alliances sponsored by the papacy during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. They include the League of 1511 –13, formed by Pope Julius II to expel Louis XII of France from Italy, and the French Holy League (also called the Catholic League ) of 1576 and 1584, a Catholic extremist league formed during the French Wars of Religion.

Holy Name

Holy Name ▶noun (especially in the Catholic Church ) the name of Jesus as an object of formal devotion.

Holyoake, Sir Keith

Holyoake, Sir Keith |ˈhəʊlɪəʊk | (1904 –83 ), New Zealand statesman, Prime Minister 1957 and 1960 –72, Governor General 1977 –80; full name Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake.

Holy Office

Holy Office the ecclesiastical court of the Roman Catholic Church established as the final court of appeal in trials of heresy. Formed in 1542 as part of the Inquisition, it was renamed the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1965.

holy of holies

holy of holies ▶noun the inner chamber of the sanctuary in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, separated by a veil from the outer chamber. It was reserved for the presence of God and could be entered only by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. • a place regarded as most sacred or special: I knocked at the door and was admitted by Ms Brown to the holy of holies.

Holyoke

Hol yoke |ˈhōlēˌōk, ˈhō (l )ˌyōk ˈhoʊlioʊk | an industrial city in west central Massachusetts, northwest of Springfield; pop. 39,947 (est. 2008 ).

holy orders

holy or ¦ders ▶plural noun the sacrament or rite of ordination as a member of the clergy, especially in the grades of bishop, priest, or deacon. PHRASES in holy orders having the status of an ordained member of the clergy. take holy orders become an ordained member of the clergy.

holy place

holy place ▶noun a place revered as holy, typically one to which religious pilgrimage is made. • historical the outer chamber of the sanctuary in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

holy roller

holy roll ¦er ▶noun informal, derogatory a member of an evangelical Christian group which expresses religious fervour by frenzied excitement or trances.

Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire the empire set up in western Europe following the coronation of Charlemagne as emperor in the year 800. It was created by the medieval papacy in an attempt to unite Christendom under one rule. At times the territory of the empire was extensive and included Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Italy and the Netherlands.

Holy Rood Day

Holy Rood Day ▶noun 1 the day on which the feast of the Invention of the Cross is held, 3 May. 2 another term for Holy Cross Day.

Holy Sacrament

Holy Sacrament ▶noun see sacrament.

Holy Saturday

Holy Sat ¦ur |day ▶noun the Saturday preceding Easter Sunday. Also called Easter Eve or Easter Saturday .

Holy Scripture

Holy Scripture ▶noun [ mass noun ] the sacred writings of Christianity contained in the Bible.

Holy See

Holy See the papacy or the papal court; those associated with the Pope in the government of the Roman Catholic Church at the Vatican. Also called See of Rome.

Holy Sepulchre

Holy Sepulchre the place in which the body of Jesus was laid after being taken down from the Cross. • the church in Jerusalem erected over the traditional site of this tomb.

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit ▶noun (in Christianity ) the third person of the Trinity; God as spiritually active in the world.

Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity

Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Chris |tian ¦ity another name for Unification Church.

holystone

holystone |ˈhəʊlɪstəʊn |chiefly historical ▶noun a piece of soft sandstone used for scouring the decks of ships. ▶verb [ with obj. ] scour (a deck ) with a holystone. ORIGIN early 19th cent.: probably from holy + stone. Sailors called the stones ‘bibles ’ or ‘prayer books ’, perhaps because they scrubbed the decks on their knees.

holy terror

holy ter ¦ror ▶noun see terror ( sense 2 ).

Holy Thursday

Holy Thurs |day ▶noun 1 (chiefly in the Roman Catholic Church ) Maundy Thursday. 2 dated (in the Anglican Church ) Ascension Day.

Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity ▶noun see trinity.

holy war

holy war ▶noun a war declared or waged in support of a religious cause.

holy water

holy water ▶noun [ mass noun ] water blessed by a priest and used in religious ceremonies.

Holy Week

Holy Week ▶noun the week before Easter, starting on Palm Sunday.

Holy Writ

Holy Writ ▶noun [ mass noun ] the Bible. • writings or sayings of unchallenged authority.

Holy Year

Holy Year ▶noun (in the Roman Catholic Church ) a period of remission from the penal consequences of sin, granted under certain conditions for a year usually at intervals of twenty-five years.

American Oxford Thesaurus

holy

holy adjective 1 holy men: saintly, godly, saintlike, pious, pietistic, religious, devout, God-fearing, spiritual; righteous, good, virtuous, angelic, sinless, pure, numinous, beatific; canonized, beatified, ordained. ANTONYMS sinful, irreligious. 2 a Jewish holy place: sacred, consecrated, hallowed, sanctified, sacrosanct, venerated, revered, divine, religious, blessed, dedicated. ANTONYMS cursed. WORD TOOLKIT

holy	hallowed	venerated
city	halls	figures
grail	ground	relic
water	turf	saint
book	portals	masters
scriptures	corridors	icon
shrine	institution	tradition

Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close synonyms by means of words typically used with them.

Oxford Thesaurus

holy

holy adjective 1 people from all over the Muslim world visit the tombs of the holy men: saintly, godly, saintlike, pious, pietistic, religious, devout, God-fearing, spiritual, canonized, beatified, ordained, deified; righteous, good, virtuous, moral, sinless, pure, perfect. ANTONYMS sinful, irreligious. 2 it is forbidden to say the name of this holy place aloud: sacred, consecrated, hallowed, sanctified, venerated, revered, reverenced, divine, religious, blessed, blest, dedicated. ANTONYMS unsanctified, cursed. WORD TOOLKIT

holy	hallowed	sacred
city	halls	vow
grail	ground	relic
water	turf	music
book	portals	ritual
scriptures	corridors	cow
war	institution	text

Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close synonyms by means of words typically used with them.

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

holy

ho ly /hóʊli / (! whollyと同音 ) 〖whole (完全 )y (な )〗形容詞 holier ; holiest 1 〖通例名詞の前で〗神聖な , 神 [宗教 ]とつながった ▸ holy ground 聖域 ▸ a holy site 聖地 2 信心深い , 神 [信仰 ]に身をささげた , 高徳な ▸ a holy man 敬けんな男性, 聖職者 ▸ a holy life 信仰生活 3 ｟くだけた話｠〖名詞の前で〗ひどい , はなはだしい ▸ Holy shit [cow, smoke, mackerel ]!まあ, うーわっ (!驚き感嘆恐怖感などを表す ) .名詞 C 神聖な場所 [人, 物 ].H -̀ B í ble 〖the ～〗聖書 (the Bible ).～̀ c í ty 〖the ～; 時にH - C- 〗1 聖都〘宗教活動の中心になる都市; Jerusalem, Rome, Meccaなど〙.2 天国 (Heaven ).H -̀ Comm ú nion 〘キリスト教〙(プロテスタントの )聖餐（せいさん）式 ; (カトリックの )聖体拝領 (のパンとブドウ酒 ).H -̀ Cr ó ss D à y 聖十字称賛の日〘9月14日〙.～́ d à y 宗教上の祝祭日 .H -̀ F á mily 〖the ～〗聖家族〘幼児キリスト聖母マリア聖ヨセフ (を描いた絵画 )〙.H -̀ F á ther 〖the ～〗ローマ教皇 (Pope ).H -̀ Gh ó st 〖the ～〗聖霊〘三位（さんみ）一体の第3位〙.H -̀ Gr á il 〖the ～〗1 (キリストが最後の晩餐（ばんさん）で用いた )聖杯 (the Grail ).2 〖しばしばthe h- g- 〗価値があるが見つけられないもの .H -́ L à nd 〖the ～〗(宗教の中心地となる )聖地〘Palestineなど〙.～̀ of h ó lies 〖the ～〗1 (ユダヤ神殿の )至聖所〘the Ark of the Covenantがある〙.2 最も神聖な場所 [物 ].～̀ ó rders 1 牧師任命式 ; 〘カトリック〙叙階式 ▸ take holy orders 牧師になる .2 聖職 ; 牧師職 .3 上級聖職〘カトリック教会ではpriest, deacon, subdeacon; 英国教会ではbishop, priest, deaconの3職〙.H -̀ R ò man É mpire 〖the ～〗神聖ローマ帝国〘962年から1806年までのドイツから北イタリアに及ぶ国家の呼称〙.H -̀ S á turday 聖土曜日〘Easterの前の土曜日〙.H -̀ Scr í pture 〖the ～〗聖書 .H -̀ S é e 〖the ～〗ローマ教皇庁 ; ローマ教皇の職 [権限 ].H -̀ S é pulcher 〖the ～〗(キリストの )聖墓 (所 ).H -̀ Sp í rit 〖通例the ～〗＝Holy Ghost .～̀ t é rror ｟くだけて｠問題児, 手のかかる子供 ; 恐るべき人 .H -̀ Th ú rsday 聖木曜日〘Easterの前の木曜日〙; キリスト昇天祭 (Ascension Day ).H -̀ Tr í nity 三位（さんみ）一体 (the Trinity ).～́ w à r 聖戦, 宗教戦争 .～́ w à ter 〘カトリック〙聖水 .H -́ W è ek 聖週間〘Palm SundayからEaster Sundayまでの1週間; キリストの受難をしのぶ〙.H -̀ Wr í t 〖the ～〗聖書 ; 真実の言説 .