Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
shamash. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
shamash, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
shamash in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
shamash you have here. The definition of the word
shamash will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
shamash, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Hebrew שַׁמָּשׁ (shamásh, “waiter, sexton”). Doublet of shammes, via Yiddish.
Pronunciation
Noun
shamash (plural shamashim)
- (Judaism) The candle used to light the other eight candles of a Hanukkah menorah or hanukkiah.
2023 December 7, Jacey Fortin, “For Some, the Symbols of Hanukkah Bring Extra Concern This Year”, in The New York Times:The candelabras lit on Hanukkah are technically called hanukkiahs. They have eight candles plus one more, a shamash, that is used for lighting the others.
- A sexton in a synagogue.
1997, Michael Stivelman, The Death March:Until 1890, when the local Chevra Kadisha (a traditional Jewish funerary society) was set up, funeral services were performed by the shamashim, the beadles of the synagogues.
Translations