place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
"The ancient temple stood atop the hill, its stone pillars framing the entrance where pilgrims gathered to offer prayers."
an edifice devoted to special or exalted purposes
"The ancient temple stood as a solemn monument dedicated entirely to the worship of their gods, far removed from any mundane worldly concerns."
(Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation
"After attending services at the local synagogue, we walked over to the nearby temple to join our Hebrew school class."
A house of worship, especially:
"The old weaver adjusted the temple on his loom to ensure the fabric remained perfectly flat as he wove the intricate pattern."
A house of worship dedicated to a polytheistic faith.
The slightly flatter region, on either side of the human head, behind of the eye and forehead, above the zygomatic arch, and forward of the ear.
A contrivance used in a loom for keeping the web stretched transversely.
In plain English: A temple is a special building where people go to worship their gods or pray.
"He visited the ancient temple to pay his respects."
Usage: Use temple specifically when referring to a place of worship in ancient or non-Christian religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, rather than generic churches or mosques. Avoid using it for modern Christian buildings unless you are describing the specific architectural style that mimics classical Greek or Roman designs.
To build a temple for; to appropriate a temple to; to temple a god
"The king ordered that a magnificent new structure be built specifically as a dwelling place for his patron deity."
In plain English: To temple means to treat someone with great respect and honor, usually by giving them special food or gifts.
"The old temple fell down during the storm."
A male given name from Latin.
"When he signed his contract, Temple felt a surge of pride knowing that his famous stage name was actually a rare male given name derived from the Latin word for sanctuary."
The word "temple" entered English via Middle and Old French from the Latin templum, which originally referred to both a shrine and an open area used for observing omens. It traveled into our language through these earlier forms rather than being borrowed directly from Classical Latin.