noun Judaism.
- the mourning period, following the funeral and lasting traditionally for seven days, observed by Jews for a deceased parent, sibling, child, or spouse.
- sit shivah, to observe this period.
noun Judaism
- the period of formal mourning lasting seven days from the funeral during which the mourner stays indoors and sits on a low stool
- sit shivah to mourn
seven days of mourning in Jewish religious custom, 1892, from Hebrew shibhah “seven,” short for shibh’ath yeme ha’ebhel “the seven days of mourning.”