shrine

1 of 2

noun

ˈshrīn 

 especially Southern  ˈsrīn

1

a

: a case, box, or receptacle

especially : one in which sacred relics (such as the bones of a saint) are deposited

b

: a place in which devotion is paid to a saint or deity : sanctuary

c

: a niche containing a religious image

2

: a receptacle (such as a tomb) for the dead

3

: a place or object hallowed by its associations

shrine

2 of 2

verb

shrined; shrining

transitive verb

: enshrine

Synonyms

Noun

• sanctuary
• sanctum

Examples of shrine in a Sentence

Noun

the shrine of Saint Mary

They erected a shrine to the saint.

tourists visiting the shrines of American independence

The writer's house has become a shrine to his fans.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Former All That cast member Kyle Sullivan, then 14, talks about seeing the painting inside of Peck’s home, which included a shrine to Planet of the Apes and — most notably — a painting of a clown holding balloons, which seemingly had nothing to do with the famous sci-fi franchise. —Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024

At the core of it all was a dragon egg flower installation/shrine by Miguel Paolo Yatco. —Olive Leatherwood, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2024

The shrine, with candles, goblets and cinema memorabilia, was uncovered when workmen were laying new cables. —Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 24 Jan. 2024

Fun side quests like cat collecting (finding stray cats and cuddling them) and searching for shrines to earn upgrade points are bright spots in this otherwise underwhelming attempt. —Katcy Stephan, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024

Having a large breed dog in such a spiritual place like Japan, with all its temples and shrines, is unique. —Rachel Chang and Thomas Panek, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2024

Featuring seven shrines, a soaring dome 160 feet high and grounds encompassing 71 acres, the Ram Temple, in some ways, traces the rise of the Hindu nationalist movement, its most prominent political wing, the BJP, and their effort to remake India into a religious state. —Anant Gupta, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024

Chip was the one who found the shrine, which had sat largely empty since the Shriners moved out in the 1990s. —Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024

The Torino Film Festival is run by Italy’s National Film Museum in Turin, a cinematic shrine housed in the iconic Mole Antonelliana domed tower, which is the Northern city’s main landmark. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024

Verb

The whole idea of a tourist attraction built as a guileless ode to love, and shrine to a Slovak poem, may strike you, at first blush, as defying both rhyme and reason. —Sam Roberts, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024

Pro tip: Take a look at the Luke Kuechly shrine in the back. —Katie Toussaint, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024

In the video, the two grooms stand in front of a balloon arch and shrine for the rat hole. —Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024

The star quarterback and safety reminisced about their relationship and entering the Canton, Ohio, shrine together hours after the latest group of inductees was revealed. —Barry Wilner, Star Tribune, 7 Feb. 2021

Thousands of pilgrims on their way to shrine or lodged at the base camps in Pahalgam and Sonamarg were asked to return. —Riyaz Wani, Quartz India, 4 Aug. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English scrīn, from Latin scrinium case, chest

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

shrine

noun

ˈshrīn

1

: a case or box for sacred relics (as the bones of a saint)

2

: a place in which devotion is paid to a saint or deity

a Buddhist shrine

3

: a place that is considered sacred

visited the shrines of American independence