noun
golem
GOH-luhm
noun
1
In Jewish folklore, a humanlike figure made from clay or mud and brought to life by magic, often to serve or protect its creator.
"In the legend, the rabbi shaped a golem from river clay to defend the ghetto."
"The fantasy novel features a lumbering stone golem as the hero's bodyguard."
How to Use Golem
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA clay or stone figure magically animated to move and act like a living being, from Jewish legend and popular in fantasy fiction.
Word Forms
golems plural
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In the legend, the rabbi shaped a _____ from river clay to defend the ghetto.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hebrew golem, referring to an unformed or unfinished mass — the raw material before it becomes a living being.