phylactery

1. (Judaism)Examples: "All there [the scribes and Pharisees'] workꝭ [workis] they do⸝ for to be ſene of men. They ſett abroade there philateris⸝ and make large borders on there garmenttꝭ [garmenttis]⸝ […]"; "They [the scribes and Pharisees] walke vp and doune bearyng about brode Philacteries, they go with broad ⁊ gorgiouſe imbroderinges, and ſhewe furth the commaundementes of the lawe written in them, where as in their lyfe they neuer appeare."; "But all their [the scribes and Pharisees'] workes they doe, for to be ſeene of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, […]"Synonyms: phylacterJudaism

2. (Judaism)Examples: "[…] I ſend him back again for a phylactery to ſtitch upon his arrogance, that cenſures not onely before conviction ſo bitterly vvithout ſo much as one reaſon giv'n, but cenſures the Congregation of his Governors to their faces, for not being ſo haſty as himſelf to cenſure."; "To thoughtful Obſervators the vvhole VVorld is a Phylactery, and every thing vve ſee an Item of the VViſdom, Povver, or Goodneſs of God."; ""Know thy own worth, and reverence the lyre," is a line that should be as a fillet bound round the brow—a philactory embroidered on the garments of every son and daughter of Adam distinguished by the possession of that sacred gift, which, whether used or abused, applauded in itself or derided in its possessor, is the highest and the most inalienable distinction humanity ever has or ever can be gifted with, whether bestowed on the highest or the humblest being, in the great mass to which we all belong."Synonyms: phylacterJudaismderogatoryfiguratively

3. (Judaism)Examples: "This Fabrick vvas ſo ſtupendous, as that vvhen King Cambyſes [II] had ſack'd and raz'd Syene, and the Flames had rambled to the Borders and the Phylacteries (as it vvere) of this Obelisk, he commanded the Fire to be extinguiſh'd, being ſtruck vvith Admiration of ſo venerable a Pile."; "[S]uddenly now, / Full-statured, with uplifted head she walks, / And drops her loosed phylacteries in the dust."Judaismarchaic

4. (archaic) Synonym of amulet (“a protective charm or ornament”).Examples: "In John Metham's Romance of Amoryus and Cleopes, dating from the mid-fifteenth century, a Medea-like figure named Cleopes equips her beloved knight Amoryus of Thessaly with various forms of magic in order to battle against the dragon. […] Amoryus's magic aids include a "Phylactery" (stanza 206, line 1423)."Synonyms: amulet, charm, fetish, juju, lucky charm, madstone, mascot, mojoarchaic

5. (archaic) Synonym of amulet (“a protective charm or ornament”).Examples: ""Heh. No. You're right about that. Often an object that was important to a lich in life serves as the phylactery, but it could be anything," Diran said. "Something as simple as a locked chest or as ornate as a piece of sculpture. We won't know for certain until we find it, but whatever object is used, it is always cold to the touch.""; "'So,' says Calli impatiently, holding her head proudly, 'let's destroy the phylactery and let the lich rot in peace and then take the artefacts.' / 'It's not as simple as that,' says Joachim. 'The phylactery is the mask.' / An unnerving silence fills the room. The only way to destroy a lich permanently is to destroy the phylactery it uses to house its soul."; "Liches are tough bastards. Usually, they're magic users that have messed around with necromancy and been able to transplant their soul into a phylactery, which is basically a magic jar that allows the soul to survive disconnected from the body. […] Destroying the lich without destroying the phylactery first just allows the lich to regenerate its body over time (or steal someone else's) and it really pisses them off. With the intense connection a lich has with its phylactery if it gets destroyed the lich will know instantly."Synonyms: amulet, charm, fetish, juju, lucky charm, madstone, mascot, mojoarchaicbroadly

6. (art, historical) A scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person's mouth or held in their hands, indicating what they are singing or speaking; a banderole, a speech scroll.Examples: "[T]o bear on their faces, as plainly as on a phylactery, the inscription, "Do, pray, look at the coronet on my panels;" […]"; "The sun coming in through the rose window in the south transept made the phylactery which the angel bore glow like a topaz, and gilded the hermit's bald head, while it turned the ciborium below into shining gold."; "Just as phylacteries became more commonplace in prints in the 17th century, there was a growing aversion for the use of phylacteries in paintings. […] Devils and corrupt politicians were more likely seen to speak using phylacteries, whereas virtuous characters were more often depicted as silent."historical