a place of refuge or safety 避难所,庇护所 people automatically sought a sanctuary in time of trouble. 人有麻烦时自然会寻找避难所。 [mass noun]his sonstook sanctuary in the church. 他的儿子在教堂里避难。 ■[mass noun]immunity from arrest 避难,庇护 he has been given sanctuary in the US Embassy in Beijing. 他在北京的美国大使馆得到了庇护。
[usu. with modifier]a nature reserve 自然保护区;禁猎区 a bird sanctuary. 鸟类禁猎区。 ■a place where injured or unwanted animals of a specified kind are cared for (某种受伤或遗弃动物的)收养所,养护区 a donkey sanctuary. 驴收养所。
a holy place; a temple 圣所;教堂;寺院 ■the inmost recess or holiest part of a temple (教堂或寺院的)最深处;最神圣处 ■the part of the chancel of a church containing the high altar (教堂内的)主圣坛
语源
Middle English (in sense 3): from Old French sanctuaire, from Latin sanctuarium, from sanctus 'holy'. The early sense ‘a church or other sacred place where a fugitive was immune, by the law of the medieval Church, from arrest, gave rise to senses 1 and 2