| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| sanctuary |
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| SYLLABICATION: | sanc·tu·ar·y |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  s ngk ch - r  |
| NOUN: | Inflected forms: pl. sanc·tu·ar·ies
1a. A sacred place, such as a church, temple, or mosque. b. The holiest part of a sacred place, as the part of a Christian church around the altar. 2a. A sacred place, such as a church, in which fugitives formerly were immune to arrest. b. Immunity to arrest afforded by a sanctuary. 3. A place of refuge or asylum. 4. A reserved area in which birds and other animals, especially wild animals, are protected from hunting or molestation. See synonyms at shelter. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English, from Old French sainctuarie, from Late Latin s ncturium, from Latin snctus, sacred. See sanctify.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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