ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Bishop

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈbɪʃəp/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Bishop is a noun meaning A chief of the Festival of Fools or St. Nicholas Day.

Meaning

A chief of the Festival of Fools or St. Nicholas Day.

Any of various African birds of the genus Euplectes; a kind of weaverbird closely related to the widowbirds.
A flowering plant of the genus Bifora.
(chess) The chess piece denoted ♗ or ♝ which moves along diagonal lines and developed from the shatranj alfil ("elephant") and was originally known as the aufil or archer in English.
(Christianity) An overseer of congregations: either any such overseer, generally speaking, or (in Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglicanism, etc.) an official in the church hierarchy (actively or nominally) governing a diocese, supervising the church's priests, deacons, and property in its territory.
(obsolete) The holder of the Greek or Roman position of episcopus, supervisor over the public dole of grain, etc.
(obsolete) Any watchman, inspector, or overlooker.
(dialectal) A ladybug or ladybird, beetles of the family Coccinellidae.

These ministers were at first confined to the three orders of bishops, priests, and deacons.

They gave away corn, not cash; and Cicero was made bishop, or overseer, of this public victualling.

The Bishoppes some name Alphins, some fooles, and some name them Princes; other some call them Archers.

King James of blessed memory said, no Bishop, no King: it was not he, but others that added, No Ceremony, no Bishop.

Depending on context, synonyms include ordinary, hierarch, consecrator.

Related dictionary entries include archbishop, vicar, pontifical, monsignor, episcopal, reverend.

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