herem*: Meaning and Definition of

he•rem

Pronunciation: (Seph.khe'rem Ashk. khā'r&schwam), [key]
— n. Hebrew.
  1. the most severe form of excommunication, formerly used by rabbis in sentencing wrongdoers, usually for an indefinite period of time.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.