halidom

English[edit]

From Middle English halidom, haliȝdom, from Old English hāliġdōm (“holiness, righteousness, sanctity; holy place, sanctuary, chapel; relics, holy things; holy office; sacrament; holy doctrines”), corresponding to holy +‎ -dom, from Proto-Germanic *hailagadōmaz. Cognate with Dutch heiligdom (“sanctuary, shrine”), German Heiligtum (“sanctuary, shrine, holy relic”), Swedish helgedom (“shrine, sanctuary, temple, sanctum”), Icelandic helgidómur (“sanctuary, holy relic”).

halidom (plural halidoms)

(obsolete) Holiness; sanctity; sacred honour.
- 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:
  Now sure and by my hallidome ( quoth he ) / Ye a great master are in your degree
- 1987, Poul and Karen Anderson, The King of Ys‎^[1] (SciFi), page 422:
  Now he's put the final seal on his Kingship, his halidom, by slaying a challenger in the Wood.
(archaic) A sanctuary; lands held of a religious foundation.
- 1983, Poul Anderson, Time Patrolman (SciFi), Tom Doherty Associates, →ISBN:
  […] save for Wodan, who had a richly bedecked halidom nearby.
(archaic) Something regarded as sacred; a holy relic.
- 1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe:
  “By my halidom,” said he, “we have forgotten, Sir Prior, to name the fair Sovereign of Love and of Beauty, by whose white hand the palm is to be distributed.”