Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A distant, all-but-unobtainable ultimate goal of a person or organization.
- noun A difficult or near-impossible goal that would prove to be a major benefit (example: "nanotechnology is the holy grail of medicine")
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treeseed commented on the word holy grail
According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers. The connection of Joseph of Arimathea with the Grail legend dates from Robert de Boron's Joseph d'Arimathie (late 12th century) in which Joseph receives the Grail from an apparition of Jesus and sends it with his followers to Great Britain; building upon this theme, later writers recounted how Joseph used the Grail to catch Christ's blood while interring him and that in Britain he founded a line of guardians to keep it safe. The quest for the Holy Grail makes up an important segment of the Arthurian cycle, appearing first in works by Chrétien de Troyes. The legend may combine Christian lore with a Celtic myth of a cauldron endowed with special powers.
_Wikipeida
February 17, 2008