phylactery

American  

[fi-lak-tuh-ree] / fɪˈlæk tə ri /

noun

plural

phylacteries

1. Judaism. either of two small, black, leather cubes containing a piece of parchment inscribed with verses 4–9 of Deuteronomy 6, 13–21 of Deuteronomy 11, and 1–16 of Exodus 13: one is attached with straps to the left arm and the other to the forehead during weekday morning prayers by Orthodox and Conservative Jewish men.

2. (in the early Christian church) a receptacle containing a holy relic.

3. an amulet, charm, or safeguard against harm or danger.

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phylactery British  

/ fɪˈlæktərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: Tefillah.  Judaism (usually plural) either of the pair of blackened square cases containing parchments inscribed with biblical passages, bound by leather thongs to the head and left arm, and worn by Jewish men during weekday morning prayers

2. a reminder or aid to remembering

3. archaic an amulet or charm

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Other Word Forms

• phylacteric adjective
• phylacterical adjective
• phylacteried adjective

Etymology

Origin of phylactery

First recorded 1350–1400; from Late Latin phylactērium, from Greek phylaktḗrion “outpost, safeguard, amulet,” equivalent to phylak-, stem of phylássein “to protect, guard” + -tērion noun suffix denoting place; replacing Middle English philaterie, from Medieval Latin philatērium, for Late Latin, as above

Example Sentences

"Please! You'll ruin my grass. Put that phylactery down! Aw, you broke it. "

From The Verge • Sep. 9, 2015

Next morning, Miss Scatcherd wrote in conspicuous characters on a piece of pasteboard the word “Slattern,” and bound it like a phylactery round Helen’s large, mild, intelligent, and benign-looking forehead.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

This is a phylactery, containing texts of Scripture written on parchment, and the thongs are for fastening it on the forehead.

From Evangelists of Art Picture-Sermons for Children by Patrick, James

Throughout the time of war not a single one of them neglected even the slightest religious ceremony, were it only to put on the phylactery of the forehead before that of the arm.

From The Legends of the Jews — Volume 3 by Radin, Paul

Next morning, Miss Scatcherd wrote in conspicuous characters on a piece of pasteboard the word “Slattern,” and bound it like a phylactery round Helen’s large, mild, intelligent, and benign-looking forehead. 

From Jane Eyre by Townsend, F. H.