Shules

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Used as a term for synagogues, particularly in Yiddish or Ashkenazi contexts ; refers collectively to community places of Jewish worship or study
2. Serving as the plural of a Yiddish-derived word for Jewish religious assembly buildings ; encompassing groups of Jewish congregational spaces
3. Denoting multiple locations where Jewish religious services or communal activities are held ; describing the communal institutions for Jewish worship and learning in certain traditions

Etymology: "Shules" is simply the plural of "shule," a Yiddish word for a Jewish house of worship, so its story is the story of that base word. The singular "shule" is itself a Yiddish term; the plural follows the English pattern of adding "-s" to a noun, which is why the form appears in English writing that refers to several such buildings at once.

Synonyms: synagogues, temples, houses of worship