catflap.org Online Dictionary Query


Query string:
Search type:
Database:

Database copyright information
Server information


15 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  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]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  War \War\, n. [OE. & AS. werre; akin to OHG. werra scandal,
     quarrel, sedition, werran to confound, mix, D. warren, G.
     wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb, and perhaps
     to E. worse; cf. OF. werre war, F. querre, of Teutonic
     origin. Cf. Guerrilla, Warrior.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force,
        whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing
        wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition
        of territory, for obtaining and establishing the
        superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any
        other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers;
        declared and open hostilities.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed.
                                                    --F. W.
                                                    Robertson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: As war is the contest of nations or states, it always
           implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch
           or the sovereign power of the nation. A war begun by
           attacking another nation, is called an offensive war,
           and such attack is aggressive. War undertaken to repel
           invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called
           defensive.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Law) A condition of belligerency to be maintained by
        physical force. In this sense, levying war against the
        sovereign authority is treason.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Instruments of war. [Poetic]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              His complement of stores, and total war. --Prior.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Forces; army. [Poetic]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              On their embattled ranks the waves return,
              And overwhelm their war.              --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. The profession of arms; the art of war.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from
              his youth.                            --1 Sam. xvii.
                                                    33.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an
        inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility.
        ``Raised impious war in heaven.'' --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
              but war was in his heart.             --Ps. lv. 21.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Civil war, a war between different sections or parties of
        the same country or nation.
  
     Holy war. See under Holy.
  
     Man of war. (Naut.) See in the Vocabulary.
  
     Public war, a war between independent sovereign states.
  
     War cry, a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war
        cry.
  
     War dance, a dance among savages preliminary to going to
        war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some
        distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby
        enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike
        excursion. --Schoolcraft.
  
     War field, a field of war or battle.
  
     War horse, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry
        soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse
        for military service; a charger.
  
     War paint, paint put on the face and other parts of the
        body by savages, as a token of going to war. ``Wash the
        war paint from your faces.'' --Longfellow.
  
     War song, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among
        the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of
        incitements to military ardor.
  
     War whoop, a war cry, especially that uttered by the
        American Indians.
        [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  War \War\, n. [OE. & AS. werre; akin to OHG. werra scandal,
     quarrel, sedition, werran to confound, mix, D. warren, G.
     wirren, verwirren, to embroil, confound, disturb, and perhaps
     to E. worse; cf. OF. werre war, F. querre, of Teutonic
     origin. Cf. Guerrilla, Warrior.]
     1. A contest between nations or states, carried on by force,
        whether for defence, for revenging insults and redressing
        wrongs, for the extension of commerce, for the acquisition
        of territory, for obtaining and establishing the
        superiority and dominion of one over the other, or for any
        other purpose; armed conflict of sovereign powers;
        declared and open hostilities.
  
              Men will ever distinguish war from mere bloodshed.
                                                    --F. W.
                                                    Robertson.
  
     Note: As war is the contest of nations or states, it always
           implies that such contest is authorized by the monarch
           or the sovereign power of the nation. A war begun by
           attacking another nation, is called an offensive war,
           and such attack is aggressive. War undertaken to repel
           invasion, or the attacks of an enemy, is called
           defensive.
  
     2. (Law) A condition of belligerency to be maintained by
        physical force. In this sense, levying war against the
        sovereign authority is treason.
  
     3. Instruments of war. [Poetic]
  
              His complement of stores, and total war. --Prior.
  
     4. Forces; army. [Poetic]
  
              On their embattled ranks the waves return, And
              overwhelm their war.                  --Milton.
  
     5. The profession of arms; the art of war.
  
              Thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from
              his youth.                            --1 Sam. xvii.
                                                    33.
  
     6. a state of opposition or contest; an act of opposition; an
        inimical contest, act, or action; enmity; hostility.
        ``Raised impious war in heaven.'' --Milton.
  
              The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
              but war was in his heart.             --Ps. lv. 21.
  
     Civil war, a war between different sections or parties of
        the same country or nation.
  
     Holy war. See under Holy.
  
     Man of war. (Naut.) See in the Vocabulary.
  
     Public war, a war between independent sovereign states.
  
     War cry, a cry or signal used in war; as, the Indian war
        cry.
  
     War dance, a dance among savages preliminary to going to
        war. Among the North American Indians, it is begun by some
        distinguished chief, and whoever joins in it thereby
        enlists as one of the party engaged in a warlike
        excursion. --Schoolcraft.
  
     War field, a field of war or battle.
  
     War horse, a horse used in war; the horse of a cavalry
        soldier; especially, a strong, powerful, spirited horse
        for military service; a charger.
  
     War paint, paint put on the face and other parts of the
        body by savages, as a token of going to war. ``Wash the
        war paint from your faces.'' --Longfellow.
  
     War song, a song of or pertaining to war; especially, among
        the American Indians, a song at the war dance, full of
        incitements to military ardor.
  
     War whoop, a war cry, especially that uttered by the
        American Indians.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  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.
  
     2. Spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and
        virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly;
        pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God.
  
              Now through her round of holy thought The Church our
              annual steps has brought.             --Keble.
  
     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 H. 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, 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.

From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]

  holy war
     n.
     1 A war that is entirely, primarily, or ostensibly religious in
  motivation; a war over religion.
     2 (lb en computing Usenet) A long-running and acrimonious debate or
  flame war over personal preferences in technical matters, such as the
  choice between little-endian and big-endian representation.
     3 (lb en Utah) The rivalry between the sports teams of (w: Brigham
  Young University) and the (w: University of Utah).

From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]

  holy war
     n.
     1 A war that is entirely, primarily, or ostensibly religious in
  motivation; a war over religion.
     2 (lb en computing Usenet) A long-running and acrimonious debate or
  flame war over personal preferences in technical matters, such as the
  choice between little-endian and big-endian representation.
     3 (lb en Utah) The rivalry between the sports teams of (w: Brigham
  Young University) and the (w: University of Utah).

From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]

  holy war
     n.
     1 A war that is entirely, primarily, or ostensibly religious in
  motivation; a war over religion.
     2 (lb en computing Usenet) A long-running and acrimonious debate or
  flame war over personal preferences in technical matters, such as the
  choice between little-endian and big-endian representation.
     3 (lb en Utah) The rivalry between the sports teams of (w: Brigham
  Young University) and the (w: University of Utah).

From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) :   [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]

  holy war
     n.
     1 A war that is entirely, primarily, or ostensibly religious in
  motivation; a war over religion.
     2 (lb en computing Usenet) A long-running and acrimonious debate or
  flame war over personal preferences in technical matters, such as the
  choice between little-endian and big-endian representation.
     3 (lb en Utah) The rivalry between the sports teams of (w: Brigham
  Young University) and the (w: University of Utah).

From English-български език FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 :   [ freedict:eng-bul ]

  holy war /hˈəʊli wˈɔː/ 
  свеще́на война́
  primarily religious war

From English - German Ding/FreeDict dictionary ver. 1.9-fd1 :   [ freedict:eng-deu ]

  holy war /hˈəʊli wˈɔː/
  heiliger Krieg
   see: war, cold war, tariff war
  

From English-suomi FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 :   [ freedict:eng-fin ]

  holy war /hˈəʊli wˈɔː/ 
  pyhä sota
  primarily religious war

From English-Bahasa Indonesia FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 :   [ freedict:eng-ind ]

  holy war /hˈəʊli wˈɔː/ 
  jihad
  primarily religious war

From English-日本語 (にほんご) FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 :   [ freedict:eng-jpn ]

  holy war /hˈəʊli wˈɔː/ 
  聖戦
  primarily religious war

From English-Svenska FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 :   [ freedict:eng-swe ]

  holy war /hˈəʊli wˈɔː/ 
  heligt krig
  primarily religious war

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :   [ moby-thesaurus ]

  19 Moby Thesaurus words for "holy war":
     Armageddon, brushfire war, campaign, civil war, crusade, drive,
     expedition, general war, global war, jihad, limited war,
     police action, preventive war, religious war, revolutionary war,
     undeclared war, war, war of independence, world war
  
  

Questions or comments about this site? Contact dictionary@catflap.org
Access Stats