Sukkahs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A temporary structure used during a Jewish festival to commemorate the Israelites' wandering in the desert
2. A booth or hut traditionally constructed for use during the holiday of Sukkot, providing shelter and a space for meals
3. An outdoor dwelling erected for the duration of a religious observance, symbolizing gratitude for harvest and divine protection

Etymology: "Sukkahs" is the plural of "sukkah," a term that came into English from Hebrew, where "sukkah" (סֻכָּה) means a booth or hut. The Hebrew word is connected to the biblical instruction to dwell in temporary shelters during the autumn harvest festival of Sukkot, which commemorates the desert wandering of the Israelites after the Exodus. Because the structure is a temporary dwelling rather than a permanent home, the word carries the sense of something makeshift and seasonal. English speakers borrowed the Hebrew form directly, keeping its consonants and its ending, and the English plural simply adds an "s" to the anglicized singular. Since the plural of the Hebrew form is "sukkot," English writers sometimes use "sukkahs" to make the plural explicit in English grammar.

Synonyms: booths, huts, shelters, pavilions