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shammes

 - 2 dictionary results

sham⋅mes

  [shah-muhs]
Use shammes in a Sentence
–noun, plural sham⋅mo⋅sim  [shah-maw-sim] .
1. sexton (def. 2).
2. the candle used to kindle the candles in the Hanukkah menorah.
Also, shames.

Origin:
1945–50; < Yiddish shames < Heb shammāsh server, attendant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sham·mes   (shä'məs)   
n.   pl. sham·mo·sim (shä-mô'sĭm) Judaism

  1. A sexton in a synagogue.

  2. The candle used to light the other eight candles of a Hanukkah menorah.


[Yiddish shames, from Hebrew šammāš, from Aramaic šammāš, servant, minister, probably from Egyptian šmsw, servant, from šms, to follow, serve.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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