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holy grail

nounC1Not compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

The holy grail is the legendary cup, and any object endlessly sought. The holy grail of physics, search for the holy grail, a kind of holy grail.

The figurative use is the commoner, and calling something the holy grail of a field says it would change everything and nobody has it. The legend attached the cup to the Last Supper in medieval French romance.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti · Public domain

Definitions of holy grail

  1. 1nounholy grailThe legendary cup, and any object endlessly sought.C1

    “A cure for the common cold remains the holy grail of medical research.”

holy grail is an object.

Where it comes from

  1. Middle English

    Holy Grayle

  2. English

    Holy Grail

  3. English, today

    holy grail

Holy Grail comes from Middle English Holy Grayle. web page layout So called because it was traditionally difficult to achieve with the available markup.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Myths & Legends, Fairy Tales & Folklore

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