A canopy or decorated cloth structure that stands over a bride and groom during a Jewish wedding ceremony.
From Hebrew חוּפָּה (chuppah) meaning 'covering' or 'canopy.' The word has been used in Jewish wedding traditions for centuries and was adopted into English through Yiddish and direct contact with Jewish communities.
The chuppah symbolizes the couple's new home together, which is why it's open on all four sides—it represents how their home will welcome everyone. This beautiful metaphor hidden in a wedding structure shows how languages embed cultural values.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.