Illustration of shofar
shofar
noun
sho·far ˈshō-ˌfär 
-fər
plural shofroth shō-ˈfrōt
-ˈfrōth,
-ˈfrōs
: the horn of a ruminant animal and usually a ram blown as a trumpet by the ancient Hebrews in battle and during religious observances and used in modern Judaism especially during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur
Did you know?
One of the shofar's original uses was to proclaim the Jubilee year (a year of emancipation of Hebrew slaves and restoration of alienated lands to their former owners). Today, it is mainly used in synagogues during the High Holy Days. It is blown daily, except on Shabbat, during the month of Elul (the 12th month of the civil year or the 6th month of the ecclesiastical year in the Jewish calendar), and is sounded a number of times during the Rosh Hashanah services, and again at the end of the last service (known as neilah) on Yom Kippur. The custom is to sound the shofar in several series that alternate shorter notes resembling sobbing and wailing with longer unbroken blasts.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web At least three times in the last three months, a woman has blown a shofar horn outside the library, according to Glidden and security footage obtained by NBC News. 
Tyler Kingkade, NBC News, 23 Aug. 2022 The illustrations include a man blowing a shofar while propping up one leg on a platform. Ben Sales, sun-sentinel.com, 8 Sep. 2021 One blew a shofar, the ram’s horn normally used in Jewish religious ceremonies that has been appropriated by Christian evangelicals. Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2022 Enjoy live music, a shofar demonstration and roving entertainment on both days. Elaine Rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 July 2021 Members are being encouraged to make their own shofar and learn to blow it themselves, to conduct long contemplative nature walks on Yom Kippur and to generally take ownership of their own High Holiday experience. Ben Harris, sun-sentinel.com, 25 Aug. 2020 Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, arrived this year in September with the sounding of the shofar. New York Times, 1 Jan. 2022 Both Klein and Glatt agreed that a short, outdoor shofar-blowing service would be relatively safe. Shira Hanau, sun-sentinel.com, 1 Sep. 2020 The ram’s horn, or shofar, is sounded throughout the Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as a call for Jews to reflect, reform and repent. Joe Lieberman, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2021 See More
Tyler Kingkade, NBC News, 23 Aug. 2022 The illustrations include a man blowing a shofar while propping up one leg on a platform. Ben Sales, sun-sentinel.com, 8 Sep. 2021 One blew a shofar, the ram’s horn normally used in Jewish religious ceremonies that has been appropriated by Christian evangelicals. Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2022 Enjoy live music, a shofar demonstration and roving entertainment on both days. Elaine Rewolinski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 July 2021 Members are being encouraged to make their own shofar and learn to blow it themselves, to conduct long contemplative nature walks on Yom Kippur and to generally take ownership of their own High Holiday experience. Ben Harris, sun-sentinel.com, 25 Aug. 2020 Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, arrived this year in September with the sounding of the shofar. New York Times, 1 Jan. 2022 Both Klein and Glatt agreed that a short, outdoor shofar-blowing service would be relatively safe. Shira Hanau, sun-sentinel.com, 1 Sep. 2020 The ram’s horn, or shofar, is sounded throughout the Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as a call for Jews to reflect, reform and repent. Joe Lieberman, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Hebrew shōphār
First Known Use
1833, in the meaning defined above