Purim

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Pronunciations

Purim (POOR-ihm) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A joyous holiday that takes place in February or March on the 14th of Adar, retelling the story of the Book of Esther.

Example Sentences

  • "Which do they start with--the Purim shpiel or Megillat Esther?"

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • פּורים

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • 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).
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      Alternative Spellings

      Feast of Esther, Feast of Lots

Notes

  • Often, people dress up in costumes and have parties.

    Also called Feast of Esther or Feast of Lots.

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