Definition

Noun: 1. A wall in Jerusalem; sacred to Jews as a place of prayer and lamentation; its stones are believed to have formed part of the Temple of Solomon: The Wailing Wall is a specific historical and religious site, the sole remaining structure of the retaining wall surrounding the Temple Mount. It is a focal point for Jewish prayer, pilgrimage, and mourning for the destroyed Temples.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Many pilgrims travel to Jerusalem to pray at the Wailing Wall.
  • Visitors often place written prayers in the cracks of the Wailing Wall.
  • The Wailing Wall is also known by its Hebrew name, the Western Wall.

Advanced Usage

• "to pray at the Wailing Wall": to engage in religious devotion at this specific sacred site.
  • It was her lifelong dream to pray at the Wailing Wall.
• Metaphorical Use: The term can be used metaphorically to describe a place or thing that is the subject of persistent lamentation or complaint.
  • The customer service desk became the Wailing Wall for frustrated passengers during the flight cancellations.

Variants and Related Words

• The Western Wall: The more modern and commonly used name for the same structure, emphasizing its geographical location rather than the act of lamentation.
• Kotel (Hebrew: הַכֹּתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי): The Hebrew term for the Western Wall.

Synonyms

• The Western Wall: The primary synonym.
• The Kotel: The Hebrew synonym.

Notes on Meaning

This term refers specifically to one iconic physical and religious location in Jerusalem. Its traditional English name, "Wailing Wall," derives from the Jewish practice of mourning the destruction of the Temples there. In contemporary discourse, "the Western Wall" is often the preferred term.

Noun

1. a wall in Jerusalem; sacred to Jews as a place of prayer and lamentation; its stones are believed to have formed part of the Temple of Solomon