SANCTUARY

noun (plural -aries) Etymology: Middle English seintuarie, sanctuarie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin sanctuarium, from Latin sanctus Date: 14th century a consecrated place: as, the ancient Hebrew temple at Jerusalem or its holy of holies, b. the most sacred part of a religious building (as the part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed), the room in which general worship services are held, a place (as a church or a temple) for worship, 2. a. a place of refuge and protection, a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal, the immunity from law attached to a ~