: the god of destruction and regeneration in the Hindu sacred triad compare brahma entry 1, vishnu
variants
or less commonly shivah
or Shiva
or Shivah
: a traditional seven-day period of mourning the death of a family member that is observed in Jewish homes
Details about the funeral and shiva have not yet been finalized.—
Alyssa Fisher
Alyssa FisherThe observance of Shiva is traced to the dawn of Jewish history. The Torah relates that Joseph mourned the death of Jacob his father for seven days.—Zalman Goldstein
—often used in the phrase sit shiva
Zalman GoldsteinWe're going to say kaddish, sit shiva and eat poundcake for a week—Gary David Goldberg
Gary David GoldbergShe's sitting shivah for her father. She doesn't want to be disturbed.—Etgar Keret
Etgar Keret… the comedy centers on a dysfunctional family that is forced to reunite when their father requests they sit Shivah for seven days following his death.—Dave Trumbore
Dave TrumboreExamples of Shiva in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
The American Horror Story star was previously married to actress Shiva Rose.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Emily Listfield, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Apr. 2023
However, on the unexpected death of Tamás’s wife (Ágnes Máhr), Iván, who had become religious in Israel in the meantime, decides to move into Tamás’s apartment and, in accordance with Jewish traditions, spend a week of mourning and shiva.
—Marina Lazarevska, Variety, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for Shiva
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Noun
Named after the serpent king from Hindu mythology who coils around Lord Shiva’s neck, Vasuki indicus carries a name as rooted in India as the rocks it was pulled from.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
The American Horror Story star was previously married to actress Shiva Rose.
—Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
Later that week, at my mother’s shiva, her friends laughed and traded stories about her determination, resilience, and gift for reinvention.
—Emily Listfield, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Apr. 2023
However, on the unexpected death of Tamás’s wife (Ágnes Máhr), Iván, who had become religious in Israel in the meantime, decides to move into Tamás’s apartment and, in accordance with Jewish traditions, spend a week of mourning and shiva.
—Marina Lazarevska, Variety, 16 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for Shiva
Cite this Entry
“Shiva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Shiva. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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