Dictionary

holy water en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [-ɾəɹ] (General-American)
• /ˈhoʊli ˌwɔtəɹ/ (General-American)
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈhəʊli ˌwɔːtə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /-ˌwɑtəɹ/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)

Etymology

From Middle English holy water, haly water, hali water, holiwater, halywater, from Old English hāliġwæter (“holy water”), equivalent to holy + water.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) In certain Christian churches, water that has been sanctified by a priest or bishop for the purpose of baptism or for the blessing of persons, places, or things.
   • [W]ith our signs of the cross and holy waters, our crucifixes and prayers to the saints, our scapulars and medals, our so humiliating auricular confession 1889, Charles Paschal Telesphore Chiniquy, Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, page 307:
   • None comes to this holy feaſt but they vvhoſe ſins are cleanſed in baptiſme, vvho are ſanctified in thoſe holy vvaters of regeneration, vvho have obedient ſouls, ears attentive to the Sermons of the Goſpel, and hearts open to the vvords of Chriſt. 1660, Jeremy Taylor, “Of Faith, as It is a Necessary Disposition to the Blessed Sacrament. Sect[ion] I. Of Catechumens or Unbaptized Persons.”, in The Worthy Communicant or A Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings Consequent to the Worthy Receiving of the Lords Supper […], London: […] R. Norton for John Martyn, James Allestry, and Thomas Dicas […], published 1661, →OCLC, page 199:
   • In a parallel way, when you came up from the font and its holy waters, you received chrismation and the mark with which Christ was chrismated. 1979, “The Catechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem”, in Lucien Deiss, Matthew J. O'Connell, transl., Springtime of the Liturgy:

Forms

Deriveds

holy-water sprinkle · holy water sprinkler

Translations (74)

ro agheasmă (water, sanctified) · et püha vesi (water, sanctified) · ko 성수 (water, sanctified) · ar مَاء مُقَدَّس (water, sanctified) · it acqua santa (water, sanctified) · ka წმინდა წყალი (water, sanctified) · cs svěcená voda (water, sanctified) · sw maji matakatifu (water, sanctified) · lb Wäiwaasser (water, sanctified) · hu szenteltvíz (water, sanctified) · sv vigvatten (water, sanctified) · bg светена вода (water, sanctified) · fi vihkivesi (water, sanctified) · nb vievann (water, sanctified) · it acqua benedetta (water, sanctified) · la aqua lustralis (water, sanctified) · pt água benta (water, sanctified) · sq ajazmë (water, sanctified) · uk свята вода (water, sanctified) · mk крстена вода (water, sanctified) · ka ნაკურთხი წყალი (water, sanctified) · ca aigua beneïda (water, sanctified) · cmn 聖水 /圣水 (water, sanctified) · sh света вода (water, sanctified) · id air suci (water, sanctified) · cy dŵr swyn (water, sanctified) · nl wijwater (water, sanctified) · ja 聖水 (water, sanctified) · hi पवित्र जल (water, sanctified) · la aqua sancta (water, sanctified) · lv svētais ūdens (water, sanctified) · ms air suci (water, sanctified) · br dour benniget (water, sanctified) · eo sankta akvo (water, sanctified) · sh света водица (water, sanctified) · ru свята́я вода́ (water, sanctified) · tl agwa-bendita (water, sanctified) · uk агіа́сма (water, sanctified) · ro apă sfințită (water, sanctified) · sk svätená voda (water, sanctified) · he מים קדושים (water, sanctified) · eu ur bedeinkatu (water, sanctified) · mk света вода (water, sanctified) · gd uisge-coisrigte (water, sanctified) · alt агару суу (water, sanctified) · da vievand (water, sanctified) · vi nước thánh (water, sanctified) · tpw 'ykaraíba (water, sanctified) · ga uisce coisreacain (water, sanctified) · mk ајазма (water, sanctified) · fr eau bénite (water, sanctified) · af heilige water (water, sanctified) · is vígt vatn (water, sanctified) · sh sveta voda (water, sanctified) · ga uisce coisricthe (water, sanctified) · mk осветена вода (water, sanctified) · sh sveta vodica (water, sanctified) · lt šventas vanduo (water, sanctified) · fa زور (water, sanctified) · el αγίασμα (water, sanctified) · de Weihwasser (water, sanctified) · sq uji i bekuar (water, sanctified) · gl auga bendita (water, sanctified) · nci tlateōchīhualātl (water, sanctified) · uk свячена вода (water, sanctified) · tr kutsal su (water, sanctified) · th น้ำมนตร์ (water, sanctified) · es agua bendita (water, sanctified) · mk светена вода (water, sanctified) · pl woda święcona (water, sanctified) · fa آب مقدس (water, sanctified) · sl sveto vodo (water, sanctified) · hy օրհնված ջուր (water, sanctified) · ca aigua beneita (water, sanctified)