holy

Etymology

From Middle English holi, hali, from Old English hāliġ, hāleġ (“holy, consecrated, sacred, venerated, godly, saintly, ecclesiastical, pacific, tame”), from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, bringing health”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy, whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kóh₂ilus (“healthy, whole”), equivalent to whole + -y. Cognates Cognate with Scots haly (“holy”), West Frisian hillich (“holy”), Low German hillig (“holy”), Dutch heilig (“holy”), German heilig (“holy”), Danish hellig (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”). More at whole.

adj

1. Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.
   I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.
2. Revered in a religion.
   This tree is considered holy in my culture.
3. Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.
   My grandmother is a very holy woman.
4. Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else).
5. Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
6. (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.
   Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!
   Those children next door are holy terrors!

intj

1. (slang) An expression of astonishment and awe.

noun

1. (archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
   The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors. 1882, Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art, page 146