criobolium

noun

cri·​o·​bo·​li·​um

ˌkrīəˈbōlēəm

variants or less commonly crioboly

krīˈäbəlē

plural criobolia

-lēə

also criobolies

: a ceremony in the cult of certain Mediterranean deities (as Cybele and Attis) in which a ram was sacrificed so that the blood fell on the devotee compare taurobolium

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin criobolium, from Late Greek kriobolion, from Greek krios ram + -bolion (from Greek ballein to throw); akin to Latin cornu horn

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