Word of the Day

Saturday, June 09, 2007

sanctum

\SANK-tum\ , noun;

plural sanctums or sancta:

A sacred place.

A place of retreat where one is free from intrusion.

Quotes:

What's more, the babble of radios, televisions and raised voices from the other households in the condominium rarely penetrated this sanctum.

-- Tim Parks, Mimi's Ghost

Seymour has spent most of her research time in that sanctum of the professional biographer, the London Library.

-- John Mullan, "The agony and the ecstasy", The Guardian, December 23, 2000

Origin:

Sanctum comes from the Latin, meaning "holy, sacred, or inviolable."