Pronounced: GROGG-er, Origin: Yiddish, a noisemaker used during the communal reading of the megillah, the Book of Esther, on the holiday of Purim. When the reader speaks the name of Haman, the congregation tries to drown out the evil name using noisemakers and booing.
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Purim 2011
Everything you need to know to celebrate the holiday.
Reading the Megillah
The Scroll of Esther, which tells the Purim story, is chanted in synagogue twice on Purim.