shrine means A holy or sacred place dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, or similar figure of awe and respect, at which said figure is venerated or worshipped. It carries an Arena rating of 1499, earned across 4 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, shrine ranks #1,386 of 25,264 for Qualifying, #2,317 of 14,444 for Most Exacting Words, #2,338 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words, #2,430 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words.
shrine is pronounced /ʃɹaɪ̯n/.
Why “shrine” is a great word
A sacred place or dedicated receptacle for venerating a deity, saint, hero, or relic. From Middle English shryne, from Old English scrīn ('reliquary, ark of the covenant'), from Medieval Latin scrīnium ('reliquary'), from Classical Latin scrīnium ('case or chest for books or papers'), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- ('to turn, bend'). Unlike a temple, a grand edifice for communal worship, or an altar, a platform for rites within such a space, a shrine is an intimate locus of focus. It is the locked diptych holding a feather and a lock of hair, the roadside heap of flowers marking where a life ended, the worn stone rubbed smooth by a million fingertips—a testament to the human need to bend a corner of the indifferent world toward meaning.
Etymology
From Middle English shryne, from Old English scrīn (“reliquary, ark of the covenant”), from Medieval Latin scrīnium (“reliquary”), “case or chest for books or papers” in Classical Latin. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, bend”). Compare Old Norse skrín, Old High German skrīni (German Schrein).
noun
- A holy or sacred place dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, or similar figure of awe and respect, at which said figure is venerated or worshipped.“Entering the tunnel, we pass a small shrine above our heads which contains a statue of St Barbara, the patron saint of tunnellers. It is traditional to have such shrines on every tunnel site.”
- A case, box, or receptacle, especially one in which are deposited sacred relics, as the bones of a saint.
- A place or object hallowed from its history or associations.“a shrine of art”
verb
- To enshrine; to place reverently, as if in a shrine.“Shrined in his sanctuary.”
Words closest in meaning
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