Temple: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The word temple has different meanings in the fields of architecture, religion, geography, anatomy, and education.

Religion

A temple is a structure reserved for religious worship or sacrifice. Some religions use this generic term:

• Buddhism (Shaolin)
• Temple (Mormonism)
• Temple in Jerusalem
• Temple (Roman)
• Temple (Greek)

Some religions refer to their temples by a unique word of their own:

• a Christian temple is called a chapel, or a church, among others.
  • In Western Christianity, some temples are cathedrals.
  • In Orthodox Christianity, a temple is church with base shaped like greek cross; see orthodox temple
• a Hindu temple is variously called (in different languages) a mandir (Hindi), a kovil (Tamil) etc.
• an Islamic temple is called a mosque (masjid in Arabic)
• a Jewish temple is called a synagogue

A Hindu and Buddhist temple in Cambodia and Thailand is known as a wat.

In various historical periods, specific architectural styles were maintained strictly for major religious structures. These temple structures, along with military and palace structures, have often been the main surviving studied examples of certain kinds of architecture. In particular, Greek and Roman temple architecture has been a major influence in Western public architecture. See list of ancient temple structures.

Mount Temple is a major mountain in Alberta and a major part of the scenery near Lake Louise. It was the first mountain over 11,000 feet in Alberta to be climbed, in 1894.

Temple is also the name of some places in the United States of America:

• Temple, Georgia
• Temple, Maine
• Temple, Michigan
• Temple, New Hampshire
• Temple, Pennsylvania
• Temple, Texas

and part of the name of:

• Temple City, California
• Temple Hills, Maryland

The temple is the side of the head behind the eyes. Cladists classify land vertebrates based on the presence of an upper hole, a lower hole, both, or neither in the temple. Those with no holes are called Anapsida.

The adjective meaning "pertaining to the temple" is "temporal", not to be confused with "temporal" meaning "pertaining to time". The muscle whose origin is the temple and whose insertion is the jaw is called "temporalis".

• Temple University is an institution of higher learning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Inner Temple and Middle Temple are places where barristers train in London. The region is sometimes called Temple, and there is a Temple tube station.

See List of Buddhist temples

In Japan:

• Horyu-ji
• Sensoji