menorah

Alternative Spellings

menora, m'nora, menoyre

Definitions

• candelabrum, especially for Chanukah

Example Sentences

• "Even after lighting the menorah we don't extinguish the Shamash" (http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/486,33396/What-is-the-purpose-of-the-Shamash-ninth-candle-on-my-menorah.html)

Languages of Origin

Textual Hebrew

Etymology

מנורה

Who Uses This

Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

Regions

North America

Dictionaries

The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
JPS: The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001)

Notes

The 7-branched menorah is a symbol of Judaism, and the 8-branched menorah (plus a shamash) is a ritual object used for Chanukah.