also sepulcher, c. 1200, sepulcre, "tomb, burial place," especially the cave where Jesus was buried outside Jerusalem (Holy Sepulcher or Saint Sepulcher), from Old French sepulcre, sepulchre, "tomb; the Holy Sepulchre" (11c.), from Latin sepulcrum (also, erroneously, sepulchrum) "grave, tomb, place where a corpse is buried," from root of sepelire "to bury, embalm," originally "to perform rituals on a corpse."

This is held to be from PIE *sepel-io- "to honor," with a cognate in Sanskrit saparyati "to honor, worship." Whited sepulchre "hypocrite" is from Matthew xxiii.27.

early 14c., "natural or artificial reservoir for water, bathing pool," from Old French piscine "fishpond," from Latin piscina, from piscis "a fish" (from PIE root *pisk- "a fish"). The ecclesiastical sense (also piscina) "stone basin in a church placed close to the altar and used to receive the water in which the priest washed his hands before the celebration of the eucharist" is from late 15c., from Medieval Latin piscina. As an adjective from 1799.

early 13c., "the Father, Son and Holy Spirit," constituting one God in prevailing Christian doctrine, from Old French trinite "Holy Trinity" (11c.), from Late Latin trinitatem (nominative trinitas) "Trinity, triad" (Tertullian), from Latin trinus "threefold, triple," from plural of trini "three at a time, threefold," related to tres (neuter tria) "three" (see three).

The Latin word was widely borrowed in European languages with the spread of Christianity (Irish trionnoid, Welsh trindod, German trinität). Old English used þrines as a loan-translation of Latin trinitas. Related: Trinitarian.

holy city in ancient Judea, from Greek Hierousalem, from Hebrew Yerushalayim, literally "foundation of peace," from base of yarah "he threw, cast" + shalom "peace." Jerusalem "artichoke" is folk etymology of Italian girasole "sunflower" (see girasole).

1875 (adj.) "of or pertaining to the Holy Land;" 1905 (n.) "an inhabitant of Palestine," from Palestine + -ian. Also in early use with reference to Jews who settled or advocated Jewish settlement in that place.

1530s, "piety, devoutness, sanctity," a sense now obsolete, from French sanctimonie, from Latin sanctimonia "sacredness, holiness, virtuousness," from sanctus "holy" (see saint (n.)). The surviving sense of "external appearance of devoutness, hypocritical or affected piety" is by 1610s.