shiva

¹

or shi·vah

[ shiv-uh ]

noun

1. the traditional seven-day period of mourning observed by Jews immediately following the funeral of a parent, sibling, child, or spouse.

Shiva

²

[ shee-vuh ]

noun

, Hinduism.

1. “the Destroyer,” the third member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver.

Shiva

/ ˈʃiːvə; ˈʃɪvə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of Siva

Derived Forms

• ˈShivaist, nounadjective
• ˈShivaism, noun

Other Words From

• Shiva·ism noun
• Shiva·ist noun
• Shiva·istic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shiva¹

First recorded in 1890–95; from Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew shibhʿāh “seven”

Origin of shiva²

From Sanskrit: literally, “the auspicious”

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sit shiva, to observe this period.

Example Sentences

In a statement read to the public inquiry another of her daughters, Shiva Aghlani, recalled how her mother and aunt would sit in their flat and look at the "amazing" view of the London skyline.

From BBC

The objects — a tall bronze figure called the “Standing Shiva” or the “Golden Boy” and a smaller sculpture called “Kneeling Female” — are thought to be around 1,000 years old.

From Seattle Times

At any moment, I expected an Egyptian plague, an arrow of Shiva, or a raging djinn, but none came.

From Literature

Malhan has named these two structures Shakti and Shiva, the latter one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the former a female cosmic force often portrayed as Shiva's consort.

From Science Daily

Social media posts depicting her as Shiva, the deity of destruction.

From New York Times