a holy relic worn by one of the saints the holy monk spent many hours on his knees in prayer
Recent Examples on the WebControversial saint Father Junípero Serra, seen as a colonizer by some and a holy man byothers, oversaw construction carried out by Spaniards and Kizh Mission Indians of San Gabriel. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2022 Her melismatic runs sent a female congregant into spasms of holy hysterics. Robert Marovich, WSJ, 10 Sep. 2022 Stockholm may be the capital of Sweden, but for the ABBA-obsessed, this is the musical holy land. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2022 Some leave Middle-earth and journey west to Valinor, the holy land of the angelic Valar. Christian Holub, EW.com, 14 June 2022 During these days, the Hajj pilgrimage takes place in the sanctuary of Mecca and its nearby holy land. Manal Aman, Woman's Day, 9 June 2022 Lately, the Japanese arcade chain Round1 has installed locations across the US; but outside of that, the typical American has almost no access to the thousands of authentic arcade machines that brought glory to Japan as the holy land of gaming. Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, 14 Jan. 2022 Those debtors who died without leaving enough money to cover their remaining debts were denied a Christian burial, their very bodies unwelcome on holy land. Kristin Collier, Longreads, 1 Dec. 2021 His devotion to this holy land began as far back as 1950 when his first wife and 2-year-old son died in a house fire. Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English hālig; akin to Old English hāl whole — more at whole
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of holy was before the 12th century