Church

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Church, n. [OE. chirche, chireche, cherche, Scot. kirk, from AS. circe, cyrice; akin to D. kerk, Icel. kirkja, Sw. kyrka, Dan. kirke, G. kirche, OHG. chirihha; all fr. Gr. kyriako`n the Lord's house, fr. kyriako`s concerning a master or lord, fr. ky`rios master, lord, fr. ky^ros power, might; akin to Skr. çūra hero, Zend. çura strong, OIr. caur, cur, hero. Cf. Kirk.].

•  A building set apart for Christian worship.  [1913 Webster]
•  A Jewish or heathen temple.  Acts xix. 37.  [1913 Webster]
•  A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together.  Acts xiv. 23.  [1913 Webster]
•  A body of Christian believers, holding the same creed, observing the same rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church.  [1913 Webster]
•  The collective body of Christians.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any body of worshipers; as, the Jewish church; the church of Brahm.  [1913 Webster]
•  The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, etc.; as, to array the power of the church against some moral evil.  [1913 Webster]

  " Church is often used in composition to denote something belonging or relating to the church; as, church authority; church history; church member; church music, etc."  [1913 Webster]

  "Remember that both church and state are properly the rulers of the people, only because they are their benefactors."  [1913 Webster]

Apostolic church. See under Apostolic. -- Broad church. See Broad Church. -- Catholic church or Universal church, the whole body of believers in Christ throughout the world. -- Church of England, or English church, the Episcopal church established and endowed in England by law. -- Church living, a benefice in an established church. -- Church militant. See under Militant. -- Church owl (Zoöl.), the white owl. See Barn owl. -- Church rate, a tax levied on parishioners for the maintenance of the church and its services. -- Church session. See under Session. -- Church triumphant. See under Triumphant. -- Church work, work on, or in behalf of, a church; the work of a particular church for the spread of religion. -- Established church, the church maintained by the civil authority; a state church.

Church, v. t. 

 To bless according to a prescribed form, or to unite with in publicly returning thanks in church, as after deliverance from the dangers of childbirth; as, the churching of women.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Church, n. & v.
--n.
1 a building for public (usu. Christian) worship.
2 a meeting for public worship in such a building (go to church; met after church).
3 (Church) the body of all Christians.
4 (Church) the clergy or clerical profession (went into the Church).
5 (Church) an organized Christian group or society of any time, country, or distinct principles of worship (the primitive Church; Church of Scotland; High Church).
6 (Church) institutionalized religion as a political or social force (Church and State).
--v.tr. bring (esp. a woman after childbirth) to church for a service of thanksgiving.

Idiom

Church Army an organization of the Church of England concerned with social welfare. Church Commissioners a body managing the finances of the Church of England. Church of England the English Church, recognized by the State and having the sovereign as its head. church school a school founded by or associated with the Church of England.

Etymology

OE cirice, circe, etc. f. med. Gk kurikon f. Gk kuriakon (doma) Lord's (house) f. kurios Lord: cf. KIRK

THESAURUS

Church

Mass, adherents, affiliation, apostleship, bedtime prayer, body, branch, call, camp meeting, care of souls, church service, churchly, class, communion, community, compline, confession, connection, creed, cult, denomination, devotions, disciples, divine service, division, duty, evening devotions, evensong, exercises, faction, faith, fellowship, followers, group, holy orders, house of prayer, ism, lauds, liturgy, matins, meeting, morning devotions, night song, none, nones, novena, office, offshoot, order, organization, party, pastorage, pastoral care, pastorate, persuasion, praise meeting, prayer, prayer meeting, prayers, priesthood, priestship, prime, prime song, public worship, rabbinate, religious order, revival, revival meeting, sacred calling, schism, school, sect, sectarism, segment, service, sext, society, spiritual, tabernacle, temple, tent meeting, the church, the cloth, the desk, the ministry, the pulpit, tierce, undersong, variety, version, vesper, vespers, vigils, vocation, watch meeting, watch night, watch-night service

ROGET THESAURUS

Church

Churchdom

N church, churchdom, ministry, apostleship, priesthood, prelacy, hierarch, church government, christendom, pale of the church, clericalism, sacerdotalism, episcopalianism, ultramontanism, theocracy, ecclesiology, ecclesiologist, priestcraft, odium theologicum, monachism, monachy, monasticism, monkhood, pontificate, primacy, archbishopric, archiepiscopacy, prelacy, bishopric, bishopdom, episcopate, episcopacy, see, diocese, deanery, stall, canonry, canonicate, prebend, prebendaryship, benefice, incumbency, glebe, advowson, living, cure, rectorship, vicariate, vicarship, deaconry, deaconship, curacy, chaplain, chaplaincy, chaplainship, cardinalate, cardinalship, abbacy, presbytery, holy orders, ordination, institution, consecration, induction, reading in, preferment, translation, presentation, popedom, the Vatican, the apostolic see, religious sects, council, conclave, convocation, synod, consistory, chapter, vestry, sanhedrim, conge d'elire, ecclesiastical courts, consistorial court, court of Arches, ecclesiastical, ecclesiological, clerical, sacerdotal, priestly, prelatical, pastoral, ministerial, capitular, theocratic, hierarchical, archiepiscopal, episcopal, episcopalian, canonical, monastic, monachal, monkish, abbatial, abbatical, Anglican, pontifical, papal, apostolic, Roman, Popish, ultramontane, priest-ridden.

Temple

N temple, place of worship, house of God, house of prayer, temple, cathedral, minster, church, kirk, chapel, meetinghouse, bethel, tabernacle, conventicle, basilica, fane, holy place, chantry, oratory, synagogue, mosque, marabout, pantheon, pagoda, joss house, dogobah, tope, kiosk, kiack, masjid, parsonage, rectory, vicarage, manse, deanery, glebe, Vatican, bishop's palace, Lambeth, altar, shrine, sanctuary, Holy of Holies, sanctum sanctorum, sacristy, sacrarium, communion table, holy table, Lord's table, table of the Lord, pyx, baptistery, font, piscina, stoup, aumbry, sedile, reredos, rood loft, rood screen, chancel, quire, choir, nave, aisle, transept, vestry, crypt, golgotha, calvary, Easter sepulcher, stall, pew, pulpit, ambo, lectern, reading desk, confessional, prothesis, credence, baldachin, baldacchino, apse, belfry, chapter house, presbytery, anxious-bench, anxious-seat, diaconicum, jube, mourner's bench, mourner's seat, cloisters, churchyard, monastery, priory, abbey, friary, convent, nunnery, cloister, claustral, cloistered, monastic, monasterial, conventual, ne vile fano, there's nothing ill can dwell in such a temple.

Certainty

N certainty, necessity, certitude, surety, assurance, dead certainty, moral certainty, infallibleness, infallibility, reliability, indubitableness, inevitableness, unquestionableness, gospel, scripture, church, pope, court of final appeal, res judicata, ultimatum positiveness, dogmatism, dogmatist, dogmatizer, doctrinaire, bigot, opinionist, Sir Oracle, ipse dixit, fact, positive fact, matter of fact, fait accompli, certain, sure, assured, solid, well-founded, unqualified, absolute, positive, determinate, definite, clear, unequivocal, categorical, unmistakable, decisive, decided, ascertained, inevitable, unavoidable, avoidless, ineluctable, unerring, infallible, unchangeable, to be depended on, trustworthy, reliable, bound, unimpeachable, undeniable, unquestionable, indisputable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indubitable, irrefutable, conclusive, without power of appeal, indubious, without doubt, beyond a doubt, without a shade or shadow of doubt, without question, beyond question, past dispute, clear as day, beyond all question, beyond all dispute, undoubted, uncontested, unquestioned, undisputed, questionless, doubtless, authoritative, authentic, official, sure as fate, sure as death and taxes, sure as a gun, evident, self-evident, axiomatic, clear, clear as day, clear as the sun at noonday, certainly, for certain, certes, sure, no doubt, doubtless, and no mistake, flagrante delicto, sure enough, to be sure, of course, as a matter of course, a coup sur, to a certainty, in truth, at any rate, at all events, without fail, coute que coute, coute qu'il coute, whatever may happen, if the worst come to the worst, come what may, happen what may, come what will, sink or swim, rain or shine, cela va sans dire, there is no question, no question, not a shadow of doubt, there is not a shadow of doubt, the die is cast, facts are stubborn things.