shrine
UK: ʃraɪn | US: ʃraɪn
n. a place regarded as holy because of its associations with a divinity, relic, or sacred event
n. a container or receptacle for sacred relics
n. a site or structure of veneration or devotion
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The word "shrine" originates from Old English scrīn, meaning "a container for relics," borrowed from Latin scrinium ("case or chest for books/papers"). Over time, its meaning expanded to denote sacred spaces housing relics or objects of worship. The Latin root reflects the concept of preservation (e.g., scrolls → sacred items), later merging with Christian traditions of relic veneration. The word’s evolution mirrors the cultural shift from physical containers to symbolic holy sites.
Pilgrims traveled miles to visit the ancient shrine.
The shrine housed fragments of a saint’s bone.
She lit a candle at the roadside shrine.
The temple complex includes a shrine dedicated to the goddess.
Historians studied the medieval shrine’s intricate carvings.