shiva
nouncommon in dialogue
- United States//ˈʃɪvə//
A weeklong period of formal mourning for a close relative.
noun
- 1
A weeklong period of formal mourning for a close relative.
Did you know that some parents sit shiva […] for 30 days if their child is discovered to be gay?
Seymour: Audrey, quick! We've got to do an emergency [flower] arrangement. […] Mr. Mushnik: The Shivas are our most important funereal account. A big, enormous family, they're dropping off like flies!
“Mo Kellman lost his wife ten years ago.” “Does that mean the shiva is over?”
Etymology
From Hebrew שִׁבְעָה (shiv'á, “seven”), referring to the number of days that shiva spans.
Forms
- plural
- shivas
shitty · Very bad; unpleasant; miserable; insignificant.shiv · A knife, especially a makeshift one fashioned from something…Shiv · A male given name from Sanskrit mainly used in India.
shiva · A weeklong period of formal mourning for a close relative.
Shiva · The god of destruction and transformation, and together with…shiver · To tremble or shake, especially when cold or frightened.Shiver · A surname.