nazarite means A Jew bound by a vow to leave the hair uncut, to abstain from alcohol, and to practice extraordinary purity of life and devotion. It carries an Arena rating of 1548, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, nazarite ranks #1,625 of 13,223 for Most Sublime Words, #1,860 of 13,223 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,370 of 13,223 for Most Beautiful Words, #2,817 of 13,223 for Most Storied Words.
Why “nazarite” is a great word
A Jew bound by a vow to leave the hair uncut, to abstain from wine, and to practice extraordinary purity of life and devotion. The word is formed from the Hebrew נָזִיר (nazír, “consecrated person”), from the root נִזַּר (nizár, “to separate, to consecrate”) + the English suffix -ite. Unlike a monk, whose withdrawal is communal and lifelong, or a generic ascetic, whose discipline lacks specific ritual form, the Nazarite’s separation was a formal, often temporary, consecration prescribed by Mosaic law. It is the tangible austerity of a life marked by the matted, uncut hair grown like a crown of rough hemp, the untouched cup of wine at a festival, and the meticulous avoidance of a graveside—a corporeal scripture written in abstinence, a voluntary strangeness worn upon the body to make the sacred visible.
Etymology
A blend of Hebrew נָזִיר (nazír, “nazarite, monk, ascetic”) + -ite, from נִזַּר (nizár, “to separate”).
noun
- A Jew bound by a vow to leave the hair uncut, to abstain from alcohol, and to practice extraordinary purity of life and devotion.
Words closest in meaning
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