phylactery (redirected from phylacteries)

phy·lac·ter·y  (f-lkt-r)

n. pl. phy·lac·ter·ies

1. Judaism Either of two small leather boxes, each containing strips of parchment inscribed with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, one of which is strapped to the forehead and the other to the left arm; traditionally worn by Jewish men during morning worship, except on the Sabbath and holidays.

2.

a. An amulet.

b. A reminder.

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[Middle English filaterie, philacterie, from Old French filatiere, from Late Latin phylactrium, from Greek phulaktrion, guard's post, safeguard, phylactery, from phulaktr, guard, from phulax, phulak-.]

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phylactery [fɪˈlæktərɪ]

n pl -teries

1. (Non-Christian Religions / Judaism) Judaism (usually plural) Also called Tefillah either of the pair of blackened square cases containing parchments inscribed with biblical passages, bound by leather thongs to the head and left arm, and worn by Jewish men during weekday morning prayers

2. a reminder or aid to remembering

3. Archaic an amulet or charm

[from Late Latin phylactērium, from Greek phulaktērion outpost, from phulax a guard]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

phylactery - (Judaism) either of two small leather cases containing texts from the Hebrew Scriptures (known collectively as tefillin); traditionally worn (on the forehead and the left arm) by Jewish men during morning prayer tefillin Judaism - the monotheistic religion of the Jews having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Torah and in the Talmud reminder - a message that helps you remember something; "he ignored his wife's reminders"

Translations

phylactery [fɪˈlæktərɪ] N → filacteria f