halidom

H4A1L1I1D2O1M3
/ˈhælɪdəm/

noun

Holiness; sanctity; sacred honour.

OriginMiddle English halidom ← Old English hāliġdōm ← Proto-Germanic *hailagadōmaz →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounhalidom (plural halidoms)

plural halidoms · alternative halidome · alternative hallidome · alternative halidame · alternative holidam · alternative hollidam · alternative holydam · alternative holydame · alternative holidame

  1. obsoleteHoliness; sanctity; sacred honour.

    Now sure and by my hallidome ( quoth he ) / Ye a great master are in your degree

    1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    Now he's put the final seal on his Kingship, his halidom, by slaying a challenger in the Wood.

    1987, Poul and Karen Anderson, The King of Ys (SciFi), page 422
  2. archaicA sanctuary; lands held of a religious foundation.

    […] save for Wodan, who had a richly bedecked halidom nearby.

    1983, Poul Anderson, Time Patrolman (SciFi), Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN
  3. archaicSomething regarded as sacred; a holy relic.

    “By my halidom,” said he, “we have forgotten, Sir Prior, to name the fair Sovereign of Love and of Beauty, by whose white hand the palm is to be distributed.”

    1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
relic

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*hailagadōmaz
  2. Old Englishhāliġdōm“holiness, righteousness, sanctity; holy place, sanctuary, chapel; relics, holy things; holy office; sacrament; holy doctrines”
  3. Middle Englishhalidom
  4. Englishhalidom

From Middle English halidom, haliȝdom, from Old English hāliġdōm (“holiness, righteousness, sanctity; holy place, sanctuary, chapel; relics, holy things; holy office; sacrament; holy doctrines”), corresponding to holy + -dom, from Proto-Germanic *hailagadōmaz. Cognate with Dutch heiligdom (“sanctuary, shrine”), German Heiligtum (“sanctuary, shrine, holy relic”), Swedish helgedom (“shrine, sanctuary, temple, sanctum”), Icelandic helgidómur (“sanctuary, holy relic”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

halidom. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halidom

MLA

“halidom.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halidom. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “halidom,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halidom.

Source: halidom on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.