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''golem'' ▫ᴱᴺ|Definition|1st|20260727004347-00-⌔
golem - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Noun
golem (plural golems)
- (mythology) A humanoid creature made from clay, animated by magic.
- (by extension, fantasy) A humanoid creature made from any previously inanimate matter, such as wood or stone, animated by magic.
- ✤ She is elected mayor through the help of a golem she creates out of the soil of the potted plants she keeps in her apartment.1
- ✤ “There was also stuff that we actually had to take out which would have ruined the plot of the movie,” he said of his favorite details. “Getting the angry old man in there was very important, and the woodland mansion. But also things like the iron golems turned out so well.”2
Etymology
Borrowed from Hebrew גולם \ גֹּלֶם (gólem).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈɡəʊ.ləm/, /ˈɡɒl.əm/
- (General American) IPA: /ˈɡoʊ.ləm/, /ˈɡɑl.əm/
- Audio (US): 🔊
- Rhymes: -əʊləm, -ɒləm
Printed 2026-07-27.
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Link to original Footnotes
2016 December 25, Anne Roiphe, “Cynthia Ozick’s Golem Story Is a Fairy Tale of Sexual Obsession and Dentistry”, in The Forward , archived from the original on 15 June 2022: ↩
2025 April 4, Jasmine Valentine, “A Minecraft Movie has one stunning Easter egg you can’t afford to miss”, in Dexerto , archived from the original on 28 April 2025: ↩
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