Found 1 items, similar to Holy office.
English → English (gcide) Definition: Holy office Holy \Ho"ly\, a. [Compar. Holier; superl. Holiest.] [OE. holi, hali, AS. h[=a]lig, fr. h[ae]l health, salvation, happiness, fr. h[=a]l whole, well; akin to OS. h?lag, D. & G. heilig, OHG. heilac, Dan. hellig, Sw. helig, Icel. heilagr. See Whole, and cf. Halibut, Halidom, Hallow, Hollyhock.] 1. Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood. “Holy rites and solemn feasts.” --Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. Spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly; pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God. [1913 Webster] Now through her round of holy thought The Church our annual steps has brought. --Keble. [1913 Webster] Holy Alliance (Hist.), a league ostensibly for conserving religion, justice, and peace in Europe, but really for repressing popular tendencies toward constitutional government, entered into by Alexander I. of Russia, Francis I. of Austria, and Frederic William III. of Prussia, at Paris, on the 26th of September, 1815, and subsequently joined by all the sovereigns of Europe, except the pope and the king of England. Holy bark. See Cascara sagrada. Holy Communion. See Eucharist. Holy family (Art), a picture in which the infant Christ, his parents, and others of his family are represented. Holy Father, a title of the pope. Holy Ghost (Theol.), the third person of the Trinity; the Comforter; the Paraclete. Holy Grail. See Grail. Holy grass (Bot.), a sweet-scented grass (Hierochloa borealis and Hierochloa alpina). In the north of Europe it was formerly strewed before church doors on saints' days; whence the name. It is common in the northern and western parts of the United States. Called also vanilla grass or Seneca grass. Holy Innocents' day, Childermas day. Holy Land, Palestine, the birthplace of Christianity. Holy office, the Inquisition. Holy of holies (Script.), the innermost apartment of the Jewish tabernacle or temple, where the ark was kept, and where no person entered, except the high priest once a year. Holy One. (a) The Supreme Being; -- so called by way of emphasis. “ The Holy One of Israel.” --Is. xliii. 14. (b) One separated to the service of God. Holy orders. See Order. Holy rood, the cross or crucifix, particularly one placed, in churches. over the entrance to the chancel. Holy rope, a plant, the hemp agrimony. Holy Saturday (Eccl.), the Saturday immediately preceding the festival of Easter; the vigil of Easter. Holy Spirit, same as Holy Ghost (above). Holy Spirit plant. See Dove plant. Holy thistle (Bot.), the blessed thistle. See under Thistle. Holy Thursday. (Eccl.) (a) (Episcopal Ch.) Ascension day. (b) (R. C. Ch.) The Thursday in Holy Week; Maundy Thursday. Holy war, a crusade; an expedition carried on by Christians against the Saracens in the Holy Land, in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, for the possession of the holy places. Holy water (Gr. & R. C. Churches), water which has been blessed by the priest for sacred purposes. Holy-water stoup, the stone stoup or font placed near the entrance of a church, as a receptacle for holy water. Holy Week (Eccl.), the week before Easter, in which the passion of our Savior is commemorated. Holy writ, the sacred Scriptures. “ Word of holy writ.” --Wordsworth. [1913 Webster] Office \Of"fice\, n. [F., fr. L. officium, for opificium; ops ability, wealth, help + facere to do or make. See Opulent, Fact.] 1. That which a person does, either voluntarily or by appointment, for, or with reference to, others; customary duty, or a duty that arises from the relations of man to man; as, kind offices, pious offices. [1913 Webster] I would I could do a good office between you. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. A special duty, trust, charge, or position, conferred by authority and for a public purpose; a position of trust or authority; as, an executive or judical office; a municipal office. [1913 Webster] 3. A charge or trust, of a sacred nature, conferred by God himself; as, the office of a priest under the old dispensation, and that of the apostles in the new. [1913 Webster] Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office. --Rom. xi. 13. [1913 Webster] 4. That which is performed, intended, or assigned to be done, by a particular thing, or that which anything is fitted to perform; a function; -- answering to duty in intelligent beings. [1913 Webster] They [the eyes] resign their office and their light. --Shak. [1913 Webster] Hesperus, whose office is to bring Twilight upon the earth. --Milton. [1913 Webster] In this experiment the several intervals of the teeth of the comb do the office of so many prisms. --Sir I. Newton. [1913 Webster] 5. The place where any kind of business or service for others is transacted; a building, suite of rooms, or room in which public officers or workers in any organization transact business; as, the register's office; a lawyer's office; the doctor's office; the Mayor's office. [1913 Webster +PJC] 6. The company or corporation, or persons collectively, whose place of business is in an office; as, I have notified the office. [1913 Webster] 7. pl. The apartments or outhouses in which the domestics discharge the duties attached to the service of a house, as kitchens, pantries, stables, etc. [Eng.] [1913 Webster] As for the offices, let them stand at distance. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] 8. (Eccl.) Any service other than that of ordination and the Mass; any prescribed religious service. [1913 Webster] This morning was read in the church, after the office was done, the declaration setting forth the late conspiracy against the king's person. --Evelyn. [1913 Webster] Holy office. Same as Inquisition, n., 3. Houses of office. Same as def. 7 above. --Chaucer. Little office (R. C. Ch.), an office recited in honor of the Virgin Mary. Office bearer, an officer; one who has a specific office or duty to perform. Office copy (Law), an authenticated or certified copy of a record, from the proper office. See Certified copies, under Copy. --Abbott. Office-found (Law), the finding of an inquest of office. See under Inquest. Office holder. See Officeholder in the Vocabulary Office hours. the hours of the day during which business is transacted at an office[5]. Office seeker. a person who is attempting to get elected to an elected office, or to get an appointment to an appointive public office. [1913 Webster +PJC]