holy orders

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holy order

also Holy Order

n. Ecclesiastical

1. often Holy Orders

a. The sacrament or rite of ordination.

b. The rank of an ordained Christian minister or priest.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

holy orders

pl n

1. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the sacrament or rite whereby a person is admitted to the Christian ministry

2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the grades of the Christian ministry

3. (Ecclesiastical Terms) the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ho′ly or′ders

n.pl.

1. (used with a sing. v.) the rite of ordination.

2. (used with a sing. v.) the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.

3. the degrees of the Christian ministry.

[1350–1400]

Translations

ordini sacri

holy orders

npl → ordini mpl (sacri)

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

He had, as well as the doctor, an academic education; for his father had, with the same paternal authority we have mentioned before, decreed him for holy orders; but as the old gentleman died before he was ordained, he chose the church military, and preferred the king's commission to the bishop's.

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Boys were encouraged there to aspire to Holy Orders, and the education was such as might prepare an honest lad to spend his life in God's service.

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This gradually led to a want of toleration for him, and even - on his being detected in holy orders, and declining to perform the funeral service - to the general indignation taking the form of nuts.

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Behind these were two of the higher brethren of Emmet, and behind these again two retainers belonging to the Bishop; for the Lord Bishop of Hereford strove to be as like the great barons as was in the power of one in holy orders.

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As the result of a quarrel he left Temple for a time and took holy orders, and on the death of Temple he returned to Ireland as chaplain to the English Lord Deputy.

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The other prodigy Jimmy told us about was the younger son of a chief, who, although but just turned of ten, had entered upon holy orders, because his superstitious countrymen thought him especially intended for the priesthood from the fact of his having a comb on his head like a rooster.

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"Very well," said Smolyaninov, and went on at once: "Have you any idea of the means by which our holy Order will help you to reach your aim?" said he quietly and quickly.

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``Dog of an infidel,'' said Front-de-B uf, with sparkling eyes, and not sorry, perhaps, to seize a pretext for working himself into a passion, ``blaspheme not the Holy Order of the Temple of Zion, but take thought instead to pay me the ransom thou hast promised, or woe betide thy Jewish throat!''

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The seven daughters belong to the kings of Spain and the two nieces to the knights of a very holy order called the Order of St.

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PADDY'S CHOICE: Athlumney lad, above, is tipped by our man in the know to see off Beef Or Salmon, left, and Holy Orders, right

PADDY ON SUNDAY: I'M SO UP FOR LAD'S DAY OUT; On Holy Orders, forget the Beef and back Noel's boy

Holy Orders in the Irish Cesarewitch at The Curragh and smart chaser Euro Leader in the Anglo Irish Bank Munster National at Limerick are both set to score.

Racing: Follow Willie's Orders

On one hand, it is likely to promote openness and accessibility to the Priesthood, Holy Orders and the Church Hierarchy and to foster inter-faith dialogue between different world regions and cultures-, on the other hand, it will make an important contribution to the spread of cultural and theological knowledge globally.