BISHOP

bishop

(noun) (chess) a piece that can be moved diagonally over unoccupied squares of the same color

bishop

(noun) port wine mulled with oranges and cloves

bishop

(noun) a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of Christ

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

bishop

(Christianity) An overseer of congregations: either any such overseer, generally speaking, or (in Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglicanism, etc.) an official in the church hierarchy (actively or nominally) governing a diocese, supervising the church's priests, deacons, and property in its territory.

(religion, nonstandard) A similar official or chief priest in another religion.

(obsolete) The holder of the Greek or Roman position of episcopus, supervisor over the public dole of grain, etc.

(obsolete) Any watchman, inspector, or overlooker.

A chief of the Festival of Fools or St. Nicholas Day.

(chess) The chess piece denoted ♗ or ♝ which moves along diagonal lines and developed from the shatranj alfil ("elephant") and was originally known as the aufil or archer in English.

Any of various African birds of the genus Euplectes; a kind of weaverbird closely related to the widowbirds.

(dialectal) A ladybug or ladybird, beetles of the family Coccinellidae.

A sweet drink made from wine, usually with oranges, lemons, and sugar; mulled and spiced port.

(US, archaic) A bustle.

(UK, dialectal, archaic) A children's smock or pinafore.

Usage notes

Generally speaking, Christian churches observe their highest positions—popes, patriarchs, archbishops, etc.—as specially-empowered bishops; thus the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church is the Bishop of Rome, while the Pope of the Coptic Church is nominally bishop of Alexandria though resident in Cairo. In several denominations, the charism of a laying on of hands is believed to introduce new bishops to an unbroken apostolic succession initiated by the Holy Ghost at the Pentecost described in the 2nd chapter of the Book of Acts.

Traditionally, the rank of bishop has been restricted to men and many denominations continue this practice. Even denominations permitting the marriage of priests (such as Eastern Orthodoxy) typically require complete celibacy from those promoted to bishophood: owing to traditional aversions to divorce, this usually restricts the rank to single men and widowers. Catholic bishops are also priests; Eastern Orthodox bishops are usually (but not always) monks.

Synonyms

• (normally) diocesan bishop, suffragan bishop

• (canon law) ordinary, (Eastern Orthodoxy) hierarch

• (as creators of priests) consecrator

Hyponyms

• (highest-ranking) catholicos, major archbishop, patriarch, pope

• (higher-ranking) archbishop, cardinal, eparch, exarch, metropolitan, metropolitan bishop, primate

• (territorial sovereigns) prince-bishop, prince-archbishop, Prince of the Church

• (nominal, as over a diocese without a congregation) titular bishop

• (lower-ranking) coadjutor bishop, assistant bishop, auxiliary bishop

• (as creators of other bishops) principal consecrator, principal co-consecrator

• (retired) bishop emeritus

Holonyms

• (Roman Catholicism, Methodism, worldwide) college

• (Eastern Orthodoxy, worldwide) Holy Synod, synod

• (Roman Catholicism, regional) conference, episcopal conference

• (others, regional) assembly, sobor, synod

• (ad hoc) council, ecumenical council

• (ad hoc, pejorative) conciliabule, conciliabulum

• (cardinals) college, conclave

Verb

bishop (third-person singular simple present bishops, present participle bishopping or bishoping, simple past and past participle bishopped or bishoped)

(Christianity) To act as a bishop, to perform the duties of a bishop, especially to confirm another's membership in the church.

(by extension, jocularly, obsolete) To confirm (in its other senses).

(Christianity) To make a bishop.

(Christianity, rare) To provide with bishops.

(UK, dialectal) To permit food (especially milk) to burn while cooking (from bishops' role in the inquisition or as mentioned in the quotation below, of horses).

(by extension, of horses) To make a horse seem younger, particularly by manipulation of its teeth.

Etymology 2

Eponymous, from the surname Bishop.

Verb

bishop (third-person singular simple present bishops, present participle bishopping or bishoping, simple past and past participle bishopped or bishoped)

(UK, colloquial, obsolete) To murder by drowning.

Proper noun

Bishop (plural Bishops)

An English occupational surname.

A male given name from surnames.

A self-propelled 25-pounder vehicle produced by the United Kingdom during World War II, so called from a supposed resemblance to a bishop's miter.

A locale in United States.

A city in Inyo County, California; named for nearby Bishop Creek, itself named for early settler Samuel Addison Bishop.

A city in Texas; named for landowner F. Z. Bishop.

A town in Georgia; named for local landowner W. H. Bishop.

An unincorporated community in Illinois; named for landowner Henry Bishop.

An unincorporated community in Maryland.

An unincorporated community in Virginia and West Virginia.

A ghost town in Washington; named for two early settlers.

Noun

Bishop (plural Bishops)

Alternative letter-case form of bishop, particularly as a title or term of address.

Source: Wiktionary

Bish"op, n. Etym: [OE. bischop, biscop, bisceop, AS. bisceop, biscop, L. episcopus overseer, superintendent, bishop, fr. Gr. , over + inspector, fr. root of , , to look to, perh. akin to L. specere to look at. See Spy, and cf. Episcopal.]

1. A spiritual overseer, superintendent, or director. Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Pet. ii. 25. It is a fact now generally recognized by theologians of all shades of opinion, that in the language of the New Testament the same officer in the church is called indifferently "bishop" ( J. B. Lightfoot.

2. In the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Anglican or Protestant Episcopal churches, one ordained to the highest order of the ministry, superior to the priesthood, and generally claiming to be a successor of the Apostles. The bishop is usually the spiritual head or ruler of a diocese, bishopric, or see. Bishop in partibus [infidelium] (R. C. Ch.), a bishop of a see which does not actually exist; one who has the office of bishop, without especial jurisdiction. Shipley.

– Titular bishop (R. C. Ch.), a term officially substituted in 1882 for bishop in partibus.

– Bench of Bishops. See under Bench.

3. In the Methodist Episcopal and some other churches, one of the highest church officers or superintendents.

4. A piece used in the game of chess, bearing a representation of a bishop's miter; -- formerly called archer.

5. A beverage, being a mixture of wine, oranges or lemons, and sugar. Swift.

6. An old name for a woman's bustle. [U. S.] If, by her bishop, or her "grace" alone, A genuine lady, or a church, is known. Saxe.

Bish"op, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bishoped; p. pr. & vb. n. Bishoping.]

Definition: To admit into the church by confirmation; to confirm; hence, to receive formally to favor.

Bish"op, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bishoped; p. pr. & vb. n. Bishoping.] Etym: [From the name of the scoundrel who first practiced it. Youatt.] (Far.)

Definition: To make seem younger, by operating on the teeth; as, to bishop an old horse or his teeth.

Note: The plan adopted is to cut off all the nippers with a saw to the proper length, and then with a cutting instrument the operator scoops out an oval cavity in the corner nippers, which is afterwards burnt with a hot iron until it is black. J. H. Walsh.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

BISHOP

Etymology 1

Noun

Usage notes

Synonyms

Hyponyms

Holonyms

Verb

Etymology 2

Verb

Proper noun

Noun

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