animal-worship

9.2

Treating animals as sacred beings in religion

noun
/ˈænɪməl ˈwɜːrʃɪp/

: adoración de animales

Topics like animal-worship are commonly discussed in courses on comparative religion.

Examples

Some ancient civilizations practiced animal-worship by considering certain animals to be divine.
In ancient Egypt, animal-worship was common.
The pharaoh's reverence for cats was a form of animal-worship in ancient Egypt.
Many cultures engage in animal-worship rituals.
Many ancient cultures practiced animal-worship, believing that certain creatures were divine manifestations.
In Hinduism, cows are revered and their treatment reflects the principles of animal-worship within the faith.
The festival was centered around animal-worship, where participants honored the sacred animals of their tradition.

Synonyms

worship

vsanimal-worship

143 3.4

The act of showing love and respect to a god in religious services

is specific to revering living creatures rather than a deity or power

idolatry

vsanimal-worship

9 9.0

Worship of images or objects as gods

focuses on reverence for living creatures rather than inanimate objects

idol worship

vsanimal-worship

1 7.8

Praying to statues or pictures as if they were gods

is about adoring living creatures rather than manmade objects

zoolatry

vsanimal-worship

Specialized

9.9

Worshiping animals as gods or holy beings

is limited to reverence for certain living creatures rather than objects

How Reverent

animal-worship

9.2

veneration

Formal

4 7.8

admiration

106 1.8

Surface Forms

animal-worship singular

animal-worships plural

Morphology

animal-worship = animal + worship (transparent) = animal + worship

A straightforward compound whose meaning is directly the act of worship directed at animals.

Etymology

The word animal-worship joins animal (from Latin anima, 'breath' or 'living being') and worship (from an old word meaning 'worth' or 'honour'), so it means giving animals special honour and treating them as sacred.