Ephods

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of ceremonial garment worn by ancient priests, often made of fine linen and adorned with precious stones
2. A religious vestment associated with the Jewish high priest, typically including a breastplate and tied at the waist
3. An ornate robe worn in religious rituals, significant in various ancient cultures for its symbolic and ceremonial functions

Etymology: "Ephods" is simply the plural of "ephod," a noun borrowed directly from Biblical Hebrew, where the word was written אֵפֹד (ʼēp̄ōḏ). In the Hebrew Bible the ephod is a sacred garment worn by the high priest, and its use in the Book of Exodus and elsewhere is what gave the term its place in English religious vocabulary. The English plural follows the regular pattern of adding "-s," so "ephods" refers to more than one such garment, as when describing the vestments of several priests.