What does phylactery mean?
A phylactery is a small leather case containing sacred Hebrew verses from the Torah, worn by Jewish men during weekday prayer. The boxes are traditionally worn on the forehead and left arm, although their exact form and observance vary among Jewish communities. By extension, the word can mean an amulet or protective charm. In ordinary English, however, it usually refers specifically to the Jewish prayer object and is considered learned or historical vocabulary rather than an everyday word. Its unusual sound and Greek ancestry make it memorable: phylactery ultimately comes from a Greek word meaning “guardian,” reflecting the protective role assigned to the sacred text it carries. The term is useful in discussions of Jewish ritual, religious history, and the cultural significance of bodily ornament, while also providing a precise and somewhat grand word for any object worn as a charm or safeguard.
nounA phylactery is a small leather case containing passages from the Hebrew scriptures, traditionally worn on the forehead or arm by Jews during weekday prayer. By extension, the word can denote an amulet or other object believed to protect its bearer.
- One of the small leather cases containing passages from the Hebrew scriptures that Jews wear on the forehead or arm during weekday prayer.
- More generally, an amulet, talisman, or other object worn or carried as a protective charm.
"Before prayer, he carefully adjusted the straps securing the phylactery to his arm."
"Each of the two small leather boxes worn on his head and arm was a phylactery."
"The collector displayed the old phylactery beside the fragment of parchment it had once protected."
The plural is phylacteries. A singular may refer to either of the two boxes traditionally worn during weekday prayer, while the plural can refer to the pair.
"The two phylacteries contained carefully copied passages from the Torah."
A phylactery literally belongs to the realm of guardians: its name descends from a Greek word meaning “guardian.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does phylactery come from?
English borrowed the word from Medieval Latin phylactery, a form of Latin phylactērium. The Latin word came from Greek phylaktērion, derived from phylaktēs, meaning “guardian,” and ultimately from phylax, meaning “guard.” Its English usage developed from a general protective or amuletic object to the small cases containing scriptural passages worn in Jewish prayer.
Related word forms
How phylactery is actually used
The plural is phylacteries. The term is specialized in modern English, but its extended sense as a protective charm occurs in literary and figurative writing. In Jewish contexts, phylacteries are also called tefillin.