Holy Grail
17
8.6
- noun
- /ˈhoʊli ɡreɪl/
- Literature
- King Arthur wasted years searching for the Holy Grail, a legendary symbol of divine grace.
- quest for the Holy Grail
- search for the Holy Grail
- seeking the Holy Grail
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Watch on YouTubeBut what's the story with the Holy Grail?
- But what's the story with the Holy Grail?
- But seriously, King Arthur, the Holy Grail, Ley lines, Jesus and and just over the hill is Hogwarts.
- I'm going to go with my favorite comedy is probably Monty Python Holy Grail.
Examples
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King Arthur wasted years searching for the Holy Grail.
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Our quest is to find the Holy Grail.
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Yes, I can help you find the Holy Grail.
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Yes, we are looking for the Holy Grail.
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This could be the sign that leads us to the Holy Grail!
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The quest for the Holy Grail could continue.
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We've got to find the Holy Grail.
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You haven't given up your quest for the Holy Grail?
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Behold, Arthur, this is the Holy Grail.
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The Holy Grail is typically thought to be the vessel that Jesus Christ drank from at the Last Supper and that subsequently Joseph of Arimathea used to catch Christ's blood as he hung on the cross.
Academic text (2005)
Synonyms
37
8.4
A large decorated cup with a stem used for drinking wine in church
30
9.9
A cup people say Jesus used at the Last Supper that knights seek in old stories
1
9.9
An old literary word for the Holy Grail that knights sought
1
9.9
A famous cup said to be the Holy Grail used by Christ at the Last Supper
A sacred cup in old stories about knights and kings
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is a metaphorical extension: combining 'holy' (sacred, prized) with 'grail' (a rare or treasured object) yields the idea of a coveted ultimate goal, so part of the sense is predictable from the parts. However, the idiomatic use relies on cultural/figurative knowledge (Arthurian legend) and the noun 'grail' is low-frequency, so a B1 learner who only knows the literal constituents may not reliably infer the full idiomatic meaning.
Etymology
Holy Grail comes from an old Christian story about a special cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper, and later tales said brave knights searched for this holy cup in a great quest. Because the cup was seen as powerful and sacred, the phrase names that holy object 'a sacred or miraculous cup'.