phylacter

phy·lac·ter
P3H4Y4L1A1C3T1E1R1
UK/fɪˈlæktə/US/fəˈlæktəɹ/

noun

Synonym of phylactery.

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Scrabble 19

Meanings

nounphylacter (plural phylacters)

plural phylacters

  1. obsoleteSynonym of phylactery.

    Men full of appearing sanctity , observant to traditions , and skilful expositors of the Mosaical Law , wearing the precepts thereof in phylacters (narrow scrolls of parchment) bound about their brows and above their left elbows

    1636, George Sandys, Christ's Passion (Annotations)

    Synonyms: phylactery

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of phylactery.

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Origin

  1. Pre-Greek
  2. Ancient Greekφῠλᾰκτήρῐον“fortified outpost, watchman’s post; protection, safeguard”
  3. Koine Greekφῠλᾰκτήρῐον“amulet; tefilla”
  4. Late Latinphylacterium“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”
  5. Old Frenchfilatiere
  6. Middle Frenchfilatiere
  7. Frenchphylactère
  8. Englishphylacter

Borrowed from French phylactère, from Middle French filatiere, philaterie, philatiere, and Old French filatiere, philatiere (“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”), from Late Latin phylacterium (“amulet; reliquary; tefilla”), from Koine Greek φῠλᾰκτήρῐον (phŭlăktḗrĭon, “amulet; tefilla”) (used in the New Testament to translate Hebrew תפילין (“tefillin”)), from Ancient Greek φῠλᾰκτήρῐον (phŭlăktḗrĭon, “fortified outpost, watchman’s post; protection, safeguard”), from φυλακτήρ (phulaktḗr, “guard, watcher”) + -ῐον (-ĭon, suffix forming nouns). Φυλακτήρ (Phulaktḗr) is derived from φυλακ- (phulak-) (the stem of φῠλᾰ́σσω (phŭlắssō, “to guard, watch; to defend, protect”)) + -τήρ (-tḗr, suffix forming masculine agent nouns); and φῠλᾰ́σσω (phŭlắssō) from φῠ́λᾰξ (phŭ́lăx, “guard, sentry”), probably Pre-Greek.

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Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with phylacter

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Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

phylacter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phylacter

MLA

“phylacter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phylacter. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phylacter,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phylacter.

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