▪ I. ‖ hom
(həʊm)
Also homa.
[Pers. hōm, Zend. haoma, = Skr. sōma.]
The sacred plant of the ancient Persians and Parsees; also its juice: originally the same as the soma of the Vedas.
| 1855 Bailey Mystic 35 And hom sweet herblet of immortal life Sipped till transmute he stood. 1862 F. Hall in Parthenon 1 Nov. 844/1 Under the name of homa, the part which this liquid [the juice of the soma, or acid asclepias] plays in the offerings of the Parsees is almost equally conspicuous. 1870 Rock Text. Fabr. 238 The tree-like ornament..seems the traditionary form of the Persians' ‘hom’. 1878 F. B. Palliser tr. Jacquemart's Hist. Furniture 468 Hom or sacred palm depicted upon Persian textiles. 1886 Edin. Rev. July 151 A shrub of homa on an enamelled gold vase. |
b. attrib. and Comb.
| 1882 E. W. West Pahlavi Texts ii. 165 note, This twig a small fragment of which is pounded with the Hôm-twigs when preparing the Hôm-juice. |
▪ II. hom
obs. f. home; var. hem pron., Obs., them.