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visitationmore about visitation

visitation

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Visitation  \Vis`it*a"tion\,  n.  [L.  visitatio:  cf  F. 
  visitation.] 
  1.  The  act  of  visiting,  or  the  state  of  being  visited;  access 
  for  inspection  or  examination. 
 
  Nothing  but  peace  and  gentle  visitation.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  Specifically:  The  act  of  a  superior  or  superintending 
  officer  who  in  the  discharge  of  his  office,  visits  a 
  corporation,  college,  etc.,  to  examine  into  the  manner  in 
  which  it  is  conducted,  and  see  that  its  laws  and 
  regulations  are  duly  observed  and  executed;  as  the 
  visitation  of  a  diocese  by  a  bishop. 
 
  3.  The  object  of  a  visit.  [Obs.]  ``O  flowers,  .  .  .  my  early 
  visitation  and  my  last.''  --Milton. 
 
  4.  (Internat.  Law)  The  act  of  a  naval  commander  who  visits, 
  or  enters  on  board,  a  vessel  belonging  to  another  nation, 
  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  her  character  and  object, 
  but  without  claiming  or  exercising  a  right  of  searching 
  the  vessel.  It  is  however,  usually  coupled  with  the  right 
  of  search  (see  under  {Search}),  visitation  being  used  for 
  the  purpose  of  search. 
 
  5.  Special  dispensation;  communication  of  divine  favor  and 
  goodness,  or  more  usually,  of  divine  wrath  and  vengeance; 
  retributive  calamity;  retribution;  judgment. 
 
  What  will  ye  do  in  the  day  of  visitation?  --Isa.  x. 
  3. 
 
  6.  (Eccl.)  A  festival  in  honor  of  the  visit  of  the  Virgin 
  Mary  to  Elisabeth,  mother  of  John  the  Baptist,  celebrated 
  on  the  second  of  July. 
 
  {The  Order  of  the  Visitation  of  Our  Lady}  (R.  C.  Ch.),  a 
  religious  community  of  nuns,  founded  at  Annecy  in  Savoy, 
  in  1610,  and  in  1808  established  in  the  United  States.  In 
  America  these  nuns  are  devoted  to  the  education  of  girls. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  visitation 
  n  1:  an  annoying  or  frustrating  event;  "his  mother-in-law's 
  visits  were  a  great  trial  for  him";  "life  is  full  of 
  tribulations";  "a  visitation  of  the  plague"  [syn:  {trial}, 
  {tribulation}] 
  2:  an  official  call  for  inspection  or  supervision;  "the 
  commissioner  made  visits  to  all  the  precinct  stations" 
  [syn:  {visit}]




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