ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pilgrim

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpɪɫɡɹəm// UK //pˈɪlɡɹɪm// pil·grim Archaic Literary Slang

n. a person who travels to a holy place for religious reasons. You can also use it to describe someone who makes a long journey to a place they respect very much.

n. a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious motives. In a broader sense, refers to a traveler who visits a location of significant personal or cultural importance.


SIMPLE

The pilgrim walked for many days to reach the temple.

CONTEXTUAL

Every year, thousands of pilgrims travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj as part of their faith.

COMPLEX

The site has become a destination for literary pilgrims who wish to see the desk where the author composed her most famous novels.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English pilegrim, from Old English pilegrī̆m, from Old French pelegrin, from Latin peregrīnus (“foreigner”). Doublet of peregrine. The change of /r…r/ to /l…r/ is an effect of dissimilation in early Romance; compare Italian pellegrino.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'to' when specifying the destination.

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