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Glite Dictionary
tallith

tallith

1 9.9
A shawl Jewish men wear during morning prayers with special knotted fringes at each corner
  • noun
  • /ˈtɑːlɪθ/
  • UK
translation icon : talit
  • The rabbi wrapped his tallith around his shoulders before beginning the service.

Examples

  • During morning prayers, he wore his tallith, feeling the comforting weight of tradition.

  • Two men hover outside, yarmulkes fixed to the backs of their heads with bobby pins, the fringe of their talliths hanging below their belts like the tails of stray animals that have wandered under their shirts.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • As the sun rose, the congregation donned their tallith to usher in the new day with prayer.

Synonyms

shawl
vstallith
39 1.0

A large cloth worn over the shoulders sometimes over the head to keep warm or for decoration

is a specific ritual garment with knotted fringes used in morning prayers
prayer shawl
vstallith
3 7.1

A rectangular cloth with knotted strings on the corners that Jewish people wear during morning prayers

is specified as worn by men rather than by people generally during morning prayers
tallis
vstallith
1 9.9

A rectangular Jewish prayer shawl with fringes on each corner worn during morning prayers

is the alternative spelling for the same garment worn by men at morning prayers

Surface Forms

tallith singular
talliths plural
tallits plural
tallit singular

Etymology

The word tallith comes from the Hebrew tallit, which meant a 'cloak' or 'shawl'. Its knotted fringe, called tzitzit ('fringes' or 'threads'), is why a tallith is the special prayer shawl worn during morning prayers.