noun
Uncommon
om
om
Om (noun) means a sacred syllable chanted in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain meditation and prayer. Example: “She began her yoga class by chanting om three times.”
noun
1
A sacred syllable chanted in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain meditation and prayer.
"She began her yoga class by chanting om three times."
"The teacher asked everyone to close their eyes and breathe out a long om."
"In the temple, the low sound of om filled the quiet hall."
"Om is pronounced "a-a-o-o-u-u-m-m" and is repeated slowly for as long as possible."
— Hazel Curry, The Guardian (2001)
verb
1
To chant the sacred syllable om.
"I had to go into church to clear it by chanting the sacred mantra 'Om'. I was omming, loudly and intensely so that the vibration of that sacred mantra would fill every corner."
— Hilary H. Carter (2015)
"Allen Ginsberg omming like a death rattle, his voice ravaged by the days of Hindu chants and gas."
— Nora Sayre, Sixties Going on Seventies (1996)
"The group sat cross-legged and started to om together."
"We all omed softly at the end of the meditation session."
"Every morning, my neighbour sits on her mat and oms for ten minutes."
How to use om
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA meditative chant, or the act of chanting it.
Common pairings
chant om
om symbol
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Word forms
- Plural
- oms
- Third person singular
- oms
- Past tense
- ommed
Fill the gap
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She began her yoga class by chanting _____ three times.
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit om, a mystical syllable used across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions.
Frequently asked questions
What does “om” mean?
The word “om” means a sacred syllable chanted in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain meditation and prayer. In plain terms, a meditative chant, or the act of chanting it.
How do you pronounce “om”?
“Om” is pronounced om (/oʊm/ in IPA).
How do you use “om” in a sentence?
Here is “om” used in a sentence: “She began her yoga class by chanting om three times.”
What part of speech is “om”?
Depending on how it is used, “om” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “om” come from?
The word “om” comes from Sanskrit. Borrowed from Sanskrit om, a mystical syllable used across Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions.
Is “om” a common word?
“Om” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “om” have?
“Om” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a sacred syllable chanted in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain meditation and prayer.
What is the difference between om as a noun and om as a verb?
As a noun, om refers to the sacred syllable itself, chanted in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain meditation and prayer. As a verb, to om means to chant that syllable, as in 'they omed together during meditation.'
In which religious traditions is om used?
Om is chanted across multiple traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, as a sacred syllable in meditation and prayer. Its use spans these different faiths rather than being unique to just one.
Is om only used in religious contexts?
While om originates as a sacred syllable in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain practice, it has also become widely recognized in secular yoga and meditation classes around the world. In these settings it is still chanted in the same traditional way, even outside strictly religious worship.
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