holy

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.

   I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.

2. 2
   adj

   Revered in a religion.

   This tree is considered holy in my culture.

3. 3
   adj

   Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.

   My grandmother is a very holy woman.

4. 4
   adj

   Used as an intensifier in various interjections.

   Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!

5. 5
   noun

   A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.

   The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.

6. 6
   adj

   belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power

7. 7
   noun

   a sacred place of pilgrimage

8. 8
   adj

   Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English holi, hali, from Old English hāliġ, hāleġ (“holy, consecrated, sacred, venerated, godly, saintly, ecclesiastical, pacific, tame”), from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, bringing health”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy, whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos (“healthy, whole”), equivalent to whole + -y and a doublet of later wholly. Cognate with Scots haly (“holy”), West Frisian hillich (“holy”), Low German hillig (“holy”), Dutch heilig (“holy”), German heilig (“holy”), Danish hellig (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”). M…