Father n. 1.One who has begotten a child, whether son or daughter; a generator; a male parent. "A wise son maketh a glad father."
2.A male ancestor more remote than a parent; a progenitor; especially, a first ancestor; a founder of a race or family; in the plural, fathers, ancestors. "David slept with his fathers." "Abraham, who is the father of us all."
3.One who performs the offices of a parent by maintenance, affetionate care, counsel, or protection. "I was a father to the poor." "He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house."
4.A respectful mode of address to an old man. "And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him (Elisha),... and said, O my father, my father!"
5.A senator of ancient Rome.
6.A dignitary of the church, a superior of a convent, a confessor (called also father confessor), or a priest; also, the eldest member of a profession, or of a legislative assembly, etc. "Bless you, good father friar!"
7.One of the chief ecclesiastical authorities of the first centuries after Christ; often spoken of collectively as the Fathers; as, the Latin, Greek, or apostolic Fathers.
8.One who, or that which, gives origin; an originator; a producer, author, or contriver; the first to practice any art, profession, or occupation; a distinguished example or teacher. "The father of all such as handle the harp and organ." "Might be the father, Harry, to that thought." "The father of good news."
9.The Supreme Being and Creator; God; in theology, the first person in the Trinity. "Our Father, which art in heaven." "Now had the almighty Father from above... Bent down his eye."
Adoptive father, one who adopts the child of another, treating it as his own.
Apostolic father, Conscript fathers, etc. See under Apostolic, Conscript, etc. Father in God, a title given to bishops.
Father of lies, the Devil.
Father of the bar, the oldest practitioner at the bar.
Fathers of the city, the aldermen.
Father of the Faithful. (b)Mohammed, or one of the sultans, his successors.
Father of the house, the member of a legislative body who has had the longest continuous service.
Most Reverend Father in God, a title given to archbishops and metropolitans, as to the archbishops of Canterbury and York.
Natural father, the father of an illegitimate child.
Putative father, one who is presumed to be the father of an illegitimate child; the supposed father.
Spiritual father. (a)A religious teacher or guide, esp. one instrumental in leading a soul to God.
(b)(R. C. Ch.) A priest who hears confession in the sacrament of penance.
The Holy Father (R. C. Ch.), the pope.
Holy adj. (compar. holier; superl. holiest) 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."
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."
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 grass (Bot.), a sweet-scented grass (Hierochloa borealis and Hierochloa 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 grass 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."
(b)One separated to the service of God.
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.
Holy water (Gr. & R. C. Churches), water which has been blessed by the priest for sacred purposes.
Holy-water stoup, the stone stoup or font placed near the entrance of a church, as a receptacle for holy water.
Holy Week (Eccl.), the week before Easter, in which the passion of our Savior is commemorated.
Holy writ, the sacred Scriptures. " Word of holy writ."
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