philactery

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A form of phylactery — Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah, traditionally worn by a Jewish man (one on the arm (usually the left) and one on the forehead) and now sometimes by a woman at certain morning prayers as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; a tefilla.

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Meanings

nounphilactery (plural philacteries)

plural philacteries

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of phylactery.

    They [the scribes and Pharisees] walke vp and doune bearyng about brode Philacteries, they go with broad ⁊ gorgiouſe imbroderinges, and ſhewe furth the commaundementes of the lawe written in them, where as in their lyfe they neuer appeare.

    1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Gospell of Saincte Matthew. The .xxiii. Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio cvii, verso
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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