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holier

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holier

 

  1  definition  found 
 
  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.




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