Holy Innocents' day

Holy Innocents' day
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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Holy Innocents' Day — n. a religious feast day (Dec. 28) honoring the children slain at Herod s command: Matt. 2:16 …   English World dictionary

  • Holy Innocents' Day — noun December 28, commemorating Herod s slaughter of the children of Bethlehem • Syn: ↑Innocents Day • Hypernyms: ↑Christian holy day …   Useful english dictionary

  • Holy Innocents' Day — (28 December)    This feast honours the babies massacred at Bethlehem on Herod s orders (Matthew 2: 1 18); also formerly called Childermas. Although falling within the joyful Christmas season, it was thought an extremely unlucky day on which one… …   A Dictionary of English folklore

  • Holy Innocents' Day — December 28, a day of religious observance commemorating the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem by Herod s order. Also called Innocents Day. * * * …   Universalium

  • Holy Innocents' Day —    A Festival of the Church observed on the third day after Christmas, December 28th, in memory of the children of Bethlehem, whose death Herod caused, and who have always been regarded as the Infant Martyrs of the Christian Church, for that not… …   American Church Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  • Holy Innocents' Day — noun 28 December, a day of Christian religious observance commemorating the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem by Herod s order; Childermas. Matthew 2:16 …  

  • Innocents' Day — noun December 28, commemorating Herod s slaughter of the children of Bethlehem • Syn: ↑Holy Innocents Day • Hypernyms: ↑Christian holy day …   Useful english dictionary

  • Innocents' Day — /ˈɪnəsənts deɪ/ (say inuhsuhnts day) noun → Holy Innocents Day …  

  • Innocents' Day. — See Holy Innocents Day. * * * …   Universalium

  • Innocents' Day. — See Holy Innocents Day …   Useful english dictionary

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