ˈhəulɪ adj. (holier, holiest) 1 morally
and spiritually
excellent or
perfect, and to be revered. 2 belonging
to,
devoted to, or empowered
by,
God. 3 consecrated,
sacred. 4 used in
trivial exclamations (holy cow!; holy mackerel!; holy Moses!; holy smoke!). øholier-than-thou colloq.
self-righteous. Holy
City 1 a city
held sacred by
the adherents of a
religion,
esp. Jerusalem. 2
Heaven. Holy
Communion see COMMUNION. Holy
Cross Day the
festival of the
Exaltation of the Cross, 14
Sept. holy day a
religious festival. Holy
Family the
young Jesus with his mother and St Joseph (often with St
John the
Baptist, St Anne, etc.) as grouped in pictures etc. Holy
Father the Pope. Holy
Ghost = Holy
Spirit. Holy
Grail see GRAIL. holy Joe orig. Naut. sl. 1 a
clergyman. 2 a
pious person. Holy
Land 1 W. Palestine, esp. Judaea. 2 a
region similarly revered in
non-Christian religions. Holy
Name RC
Ch. the name of Jesus as an
object of
formal devotion. Holy
Office the
Inquisition. holy of holies 1 the
inner chamber of the
sanctuary in the
Jewish temple, separated by a
veil from the
outer chamber. 2 an innermost
shrine. 3 a
thing regarded as
most sacred. holy orders see
ORDER. holy
place 1 (in pl.) places to
which religious
pilgrimage is
made. 2 the outer chamber of the sanctuary in the Jewish temple. holy
roller sl. a
member of a religious
group characterized by frenzied excitement or trances. Holy
Roman Empire see ROMAN. Holy
Rood Day 1 the festival of the
Invention of the Cross, 3
May. 2 = Holy Cross Day. Holy
Sacrament see SACRAMENT. Holy
Saturday Saturday in Holy
Week. Holy
Scripture the
Bible. Holy See the
papacy or the
papal court. Holy Spirit the
Third Person of the
Trinity, God as spiritually
acting. holy
terror see TERROR. Holy
Thursday 1
Anglican Ch.
Ascension Day. 2 RC Ch.
Maundy Thursday. Holy Trinity see TRINITY. holy
war a war waged in
support of a religious
cause. holy
water water dedicated to holy uses, or
blessed by a
priest. Holy Week the week
before Easter. Holy Writ holy writings collectively, esp. the Bible. Holy
Year RC Ch. a
period of
remission from the
penal consequences of sin, granted
under certain conditions
for a year usu. at intervals of 25 years. [OE halig f. Gmc, rel. to WHOLE]