Misericord

Quick meaning: Misericord is a noun meaning Relaxation of monastic rules.

Meaning

Relaxation of monastic rules.

More Meanings

1. The room in a monastery for monks granted such relaxation.
2. A medieval dagger, used for the mercy stroke to a wounded foe.
3. A ledge, sometimes ornately carved, attached to a folding church seat to provide support for a person standing for long periods; a subsellium.

Example Sentences

A misericord - a hinged projection on the underside of a choir seat - dates from about 1200 and is possibly the oldest in England.

1969, M. D. Anderson, The Iconography of British Misericords, G. L. Remnant, A Catalogue of Misericords in Great Britain, page xxiii, Misericords are a very humble form of medieval art and it is unlikely that the most distinguished carvers of any period were employed in making them, except, perhaps, during their apprentice years.

The construction of a misericord stall is very peculiar. The shaped standards or elbows are cut out of wide planks. They are notched over a deep and massive bottom rail (to which the misericords are hinged in many cases), and are housed into the massive capping, which is very wide and hollowed out with semicircular recesses to form curved backs for the stalls.

The word misericordia implies an act of mercy but despite its amiable name, it refers to coercing or forcing a spirit to pass through the Gates of Death. In the age of medieval chivalry, knights carried a dagger called the misericorde that was used to strike the coup de grâce upon mortally wounded foes so that they did not have to suffer. The term “misericordia” carries a similar import in necromancy.

Word Forms

• misericords
• misericorde

Synonyms for misericord

Depending on context, synonyms include subsellium.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include relaxation, monasticization, rest, regula, exclaustration, respite.

Related Dictionary Tools