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Holy Grail
or ho·ly grail
[ hoh-lee greyl ]
noun
- Also the Grail. Arthurian Legend, Teutonic Legend. a cup or chalice that in medieval legend was associated with unusual powers, especially the regeneration of life and, later, Christian purity, and was much sought after by medieval knights: identified with the cup used at the Last Supper:
Wagner adapted the story of his opera Parsifal from the medieval legends of the search for the Holy Grail.
- Usually holy grail. grail:
Brisket is the holy grail of barbecue because it's considered so difficult to cook well.
Holy Grail
noun
- Also calledGrailSangraal (in medieval legend) the bowl used by Jesus at the Last Supper. It was allegedly brought to Britain by Joseph of Arimathea, where it became the quest of many knights
- (in modern spirituality) a symbol of the spiritual wholeness that leads a person to union with the divine
- informal.any desired ambition or goal
the Holy Grail of infrared astronomy
Grail, Holy
- A cup or bowl that was the subject of many legends in the Middle Ages . It was often said to have been used by Jesus at The Last Supper . The Grail was supposedly transported to Britain , where it became an object of quest for the knights of the Round Table .
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Notes
By extension, a “holy grail” is any esteemed object long sought for or attained only after great endeavor.
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Word History and Origins
Origin of Holy Grail1
First recorded in 1580–90
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Word History and Origins
Origin of Holy Grail1
C14 grail from Old French graal, from Medieval Latin gradālis bowl, of unknown origin
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