Holy Grail

or ho·ly grail

[ hoh-lee greyl ]

noun

1. Also the Grail. Arthurian Legend, Teutonic Legend. a cup or chalice that in medieval legend was associated with unusual powers, especially the regeneration of life and, later, Christian purity, and was much sought after by medieval knights: identified with the cup used at the Last Supper:

   Wagner adapted the story of his opera Parsifal from the medieval legends of the search for the Holy Grail.

2. Usually holy grail. grail:

   Brisket is the holy grail of barbecue because it's considered so difficult to cook well.

Holy Grail

noun

1. 1. Also calledGrailSangraal (in medieval legend) the bowl used by Jesus at the Last Supper. It was allegedly brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, where it became the quest of many knights
   2. (in modern spirituality) a symbol of the spiritual wholeness that leads a person to union with the divine
2. informal.
   any desired ambition or goal

   the Holy Grail of infrared astronomy

Grail, Holy

1. A cup or bowl that was the subject of many legends in the Middle Ages . It was often said to have been used by Jesus at The Last Supper . The Grail was supposedly transported to Britain , where it became an object of quest for the knights of the Round Table .

Notes

By extension, a “holy grail” is any esteemed object long sought for or attained only after great endeavor.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Holy Grail¹

First recorded in 1580–90

Word History and Origins

Origin of Holy Grail¹

C14 grail from Old French graal, from Medieval Latin gradālis bowl, of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Reaching deeper and much hotter, heat reserves is the "Holy Grail", says Rosalind Archer, the dean of Griffith University, and former director of the Geothermal Institute in New Zealand.

From BBC

Sen. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, said he would not endorse Harris after she called for an end to the filibuster, which he called “the Holy Grail of democracy.”

From Los Angeles Times

It was a comment that will draw the same kind of blank expressions you see when historians are asked about the location of the Holy Grail or the resting place of the Mary Celeste.

From BBC

“Do we want to win the Champions League? Yes,” said Al-Khelaifi, who once pursued the Champions Leagues with the same ferocity with which King Arthur sought the Holy Grail.

From Los Angeles Times

“One of the Holy Grail items I missed as a kid was his single, 45 album of ‘I Love Rocky Road’ with a picture sleeve,” Guinup says.

From Seattle Times