What is the special nine-branched lamp used during Hanukkah called?

The special nine-branched lamp used during Hanukkah is called a hanukkiah.

A hanukkiah has eight branches for the eight nights of Hanukkah, plus a separate ninth holder for the shamash, or “helper,” candle. The shamash is used to light the other candles and is usually positioned higher, lower, or apart from the eight principal lights.

The lamp commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean revolt. According to the later rabbinic account, a small amount of consecrated oil miraculously burned for eight days, inspiring the festival’s eight-night lighting practice.

The word menorah more generally refers to a lamp, especially the seven-branched Temple menorah. In everyday speech, people sometimes call the Hanukkah lamp a menorah, but hanukkiah is the more precise term for the nine-branched festival lamp.