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profane |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Profane \Pro*fane"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Profaned}; p. pr & vb n. {Profaning}.] [L. profanare: cf F. profaner. See {Profane}, a.] 1. To violate, as anything sacred; to treat with abuse, irreverence, obloquy, or contempt; to desecrate; to pollute; as to profane the name of God; to profane the Scriptures, or the ordinance of God. The priests in the temple profane the sabbath. --Matt. xii. 5. 2. To put to a wrong or unworthy use to make a base employment of to debase; to abuse; to defile. So idly to profane the precious time. --Shak. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Profane \Pro*fane"\, a. [F., fr L. profanus properly, before the temple, i. e., without the temple, unholy; pro before + fanum temple. See 1st {Fane}.] 1. Not sacred or holy; not possessing peculiar sanctity; unconsecrated; hence relating to matters other than sacred; secular; -- opposed to sacred, religious, or inspired; as a profane place ``Profane authors.'' --I. Disraeli The profane wreath was suspended before the shrine. --Gibbon. 2. Unclean; impure; polluted; unholy. Nothing is profane that serveth to holy things --Sir W. Raleigh. 3. Treating sacred things with contempt, disrespect, irreverence, or undue familiarity; irreverent; impious. Hence specifically; Irreverent in language; taking the name of God in vain; given to swearing; blasphemous; as a profane person, word oath, or tongue. --1 Tim. i. 9. Syn: Secular; temporal; worldly; unsanctified; unhallowed; unholy; irreligious; irreverent; ungodly; wicked; godless; impious. See {Impious}. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: profane adj 1: characterized by profanity or cursing; "foul-mouthed and blasphemous"; "blue language"; "profane words" [syn: {blasphemous}, {blue}] 2: not sacred or concerned with religion; "sacred and profane music"; "children being brought up in an entirely profane environment" [ant: {sacred}] 3: not holy because unconsecrated or impure or defiled [syn: {unconsecrated}, {unsanctified}] 4: grossly irreverent toward what is held to be sacred; "blasphemous rites of a witches' Sabbath"; "profane utterances against the Church"; "it is sacrilegious to enter with shoes on" [syn: {blasphemous}, {sacrilegious}] v 1: corrupt morally [syn: {corrupt}, {pervert}, {demoralize}, {debauch}, {debase}, {vitiate}, {deprave}, {misdirect}] 2: violate the sacred character of a place such as a graveyard [syn: {desecrate}, {outrage}, {violate}]
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