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n. Judaism A piece of matzo reserved to be eaten as the last food at a Passover Seder, sometimes initially hidden by the head of the household and searched for by the children present, who are then given a small reward for its return. [Ultimately (probably via Yiddish afikomen) from Mishnaic Hebrew ʾăpîqômān, entertainment at the end of a meal, festal song, dessert, afikoman, from Greek epikomion, revel ( from neuter singular of epikomios, of or for a festal procession : epi-, epi- + kōmos, celebration, revel), or epi kōmon, for the revel (perhaps an exhortation meaning "Now for the revel!" spoken at the end of the Seder : epi, upon, for; see EPI- + kōmon, accusative of kōmos).] |
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