Illustration of menorah
: a candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish worship
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The Menorah and Hanukkah
In English, menorah was originally the name for the seven-branched candelabra used in Jewish worship. The nine-branched Hanukkah candelabra is called hanukkiah in Hebrew, but English speakers came to use menorah for this too. The Hanukkah menorah recalls expulsion by Judah Maccabee of invading forces from the Temple of Jerusalem. Maccabee and his followers sought oil for the temple’s menorah so that the sanctuary could be rededicated, but they found only enough oil for a single day. Miraculously, that tiny amount of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply could be obtained. The Hanukkah menorah includes a candle for each day the oil burned, plus the shammes, a "servant candle" that is used to light the others.
Examples of menorah in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The menorah’s brilliant emerald-green color dazzled him, as did its form: The candles rested atop a base shaped like a fist — the symbol of Lehi, a Zionist paramilitary group from Israel’s pre-state years.
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Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
The lamp was decorated with the image of a menorah and a lulav, or a palm branch associated with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot – and the combination of all the above discoveries pointed to the site's use as a mikveh.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Low-key: Chai-vy & Cohen-y, D.C.'s Hanukkah pop-up, is pouring menorah shots and gratis Manischewitz toasts at midnight (free).
—Anna Spiegel, Axios, 16 Dec. 2024
Displaying a menorah, plus a Christmas tree: constitutional.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
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Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
The lamp was decorated with the image of a menorah and a lulav, or a palm branch associated with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot – and the combination of all the above discoveries pointed to the site's use as a mikveh.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Low-key: Chai-vy & Cohen-y, D.C.'s Hanukkah pop-up, is pouring menorah shots and gratis Manischewitz toasts at midnight (free).
—Anna Spiegel, Axios, 16 Dec. 2024
Displaying a menorah, plus a Christmas tree: constitutional.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for menorah
Cite this Entry
“Menorah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menorah. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
menorah
noun
me·no·rah
mə-ˈnȯr-ə 
: a holder for candles used in Jewish worship
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