Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

phylactery

/fəˈlæktəɹi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.34 in modern English

Syllables
phy-lac-tery
IPA
/fəˈlæktəɹi/
23
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah, traditionally worn by a Jewish man (one on the arm (usually the left) and one on the forehead) and now sometimes by a woman at certain morning prayers as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; a tefilla.

noun

Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah, traditionally worn by a Jewish man (one on the arm (usually the left) and one on the forehead) and now sometimes by a woman at certain morning prayers as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; a tefilla.

Derogatory

noun

A fringe which an Israelite was required to wear as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; (by extension) any fringe or border.

Archaic

noun

Synonym of amulet (“a protective charm or ornament”).

Archaic

noun

Synonym of amulet (“a protective charm or ornament”).

Archaic

noun

A scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person's mouth or held in their hands, indicating what they are singing or speaking; a banderole, a speech scroll.

noun

A scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person's mouth or held in their hands, indicating what they are singing or speaking; a banderole, a speech scroll.

noun

Synonym of reliquary (“a container to display or hold religious relics”).

Obsolete

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Late Middle English philacterie, philaterie, filaterie (“amulet; tefilla; balderdash, idle words”), from Late Latin phylacterium (“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”), from Koine Greek φῠλᾰκτήρῐον (phŭlăktḗrĭon, “amulet; tefilla”) (used in the New Testament to translate Hebrew תפילין (“tefillin”)), from Ancient Greek φῠλᾰκτήρῐον (phŭlăktḗrĭon, “fortified outpost, watchman’s post; protection, safeguard”), from φυλακτήρ (phulaktḗr, “guard, watcher”) + -ῐον (-ĭon, suffix forming nouns). Φυλακτήρ (Phulaktḗr) is derived from φυλακ- (phulak-) (the stem of φῠλᾰ́σσω (phŭlắssō, “to guard, watch; to defend, protect”)) + -τήρ (-tḗr, suffix forming masculine agent nouns); and φῠλᾰ́σσω (phŭlắssō) from φῠ́λᾰξ (phŭ́lăx, “guard, sentry”), probably Pre-Greek. The spelling of the Middle English word was probably influenced by Middle French filatiere, philaterie, philatiere, and Old French filatiere, philatiere (“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”) (modern French phylactère), also from phylacterium. Noun sense 1.2 (“fringe which an Israelite was required to wear”) was based on the mistaken assumption that the phylacteries (noun sense 1.1) referred to in Matthew 23:5 of the Bible were the same as the fringes mentioned in Numbers 15:37–39. The modern use of "phylactery" as a term for a lich's artifact originates from Dungeons and Dragons.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: philacterie, phylacterium, φῠλᾰκτήρῐον, filatiere

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /fəˈlæktəɹi/
  • British English: /fɪˈlæktəɹi/

Usage

Inflected Forms

phylacteries (plural) philactery (alternative) philactory (alternative)

Derived Forms

phylacterial phylacteric phylacterical phylacteried

Phrases

speech bubble

Frequently Paired Words

philatory phylacter phylactered klaf mezuzah speech bubble

Synonyms

phylacter amulet charm craft fetish juju lucky charm madstone mascot mojo periapt phylactery

Rhymes With

factory satisfactory unsatisfactory olfactory refractory manufactory calefactory lactary charactery actory enactory

Questions

How do you pronounce phylactery?
The recorded pronunciation is /fəˈlæktəɹi/.
What does phylactery mean?
Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah, traditionally worn by a Jewish man (one on the arm (usually the left) and one on the forehead) and now sometimes by a woman at certain morning prayers as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; a tefilla.
Where does phylactery come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce phylactery

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “phylactery”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/fəˈlæktəɹi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “phylactery”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “phylactery” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.