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temple

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: temple

1
n
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
2
n
the flat area on either side of the forehead
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: temple
1

n place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

Examples:
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Artemision at Ephesus
the large temple of the Greek goddess Artemis which was begun at Ephesus in 541 BC and completed 220 years later; the temple was destroyed by the Goths in 262
Parthenon
the main temple of the goddess Athena; built on the acropolis in Athens more than 400 years B.C.; example of Doric architecture
Mormon Tabernacle
the Mormon temple
Temple of Artemis
a large temple at Ephesus that was said to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
Types:
joss house
a Chinese temple or shrine for idol worship
pagoda
an Asian temple; usually a pyramidal tower with an upward curving roof
pantheon
(antiquity) a temple to all the gods
Type of:
house of God, house of prayer, house of worship, place of worship
any building where congregations gather for prayer

n (Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation

Synonyms:
synagogue, tabernacle
Examples:
Temple of Jerusalem
any of three successive temples in Jerusalem that served as the primary center for Jewish worship; the first temple contained the Ark of the Covenant and was built by Solomon in the 10th century BC and destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC; the second was built in 515 BC and the third was an enlargement by Herod the Great in 20 BC that was destroyed by the Romans during a Jewish revolt in AD 70; all that remains is the Wailing Wall
Type of:
house of God, house of prayer, house of worship, place of worship
any building where congregations gather for prayer

n an edifice devoted to special or exalted purposes

Examples:
Tower of Babel
(Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another
Types:
ziggurat, zikkurat, zikurat
a rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians
Type of:
building, edifice
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
2

n the flat area on either side of the forehead

“the veins in his temple throbbed”
Type of:
feature, lineament
the characteristic parts of a person's face: eyes and nose and mouth and chin
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