bishop

English Online Dictionary. What means bishop‎? What does bishop mean?

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: bĭsh'əp, IPA^(key): /ˈbɪʃəp/

Etymology 1

From Middle English bischop, bishop, bisshop, biscop, from Old English bisċop (“bishop”), from British Latin *biscopo or Vulgar Latin (e)biscopus, from classical Latin episcopus (“overseer, supervisor”), from Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos, “overseer”), from ἐπί (epí, “over”) + σκοπός (skopós, “watcher”), used in Greek and Latin both generally and as a title of civil officers. Cognate with all European terms for the position in various Christian churches; compare bisp.

Alternative forms

• byshop (obsolete)

Noun

bishop (plural bishops)

2. (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.

   Hypernym: cleric

   1. (religion, nonstandard) A similar official or chief priest in another religion.
      • 1615, William Bedwell, Arabian Trudgman in translating Mohammedis Imposturæ, sig. N4

        The Byshop of Egypt is called the Souldan.
3. (obsolete) The holder of the Greek or Roman position of episcopus, supervisor over the public dole of grain, etc.
4. (obsolete) Any watchman, inspector, or overlooker.
5. A chief of the Festival of Fools or St. Nicholas Day.
7. (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.
   • 1562, Rowbotham in Archaeologia, XXIV. 203

     The Bishoppes some name Alphins, some fooles, and some name them Princes; other some call them Archers.
8. Any of various African birds of the genus Euplectes; a kind of weaverbird closely related to the widowbirds.
9. (dialectal) A ladybug or ladybird, beetles of the family Coccinellidae.
10. A flowering plant of the genus Bifora.
11. A sweet drink made from wine, usually with oranges, lemons, and sugar; mulled and spiced port.
    • ante 1745, Jonathan Swift, Women who cry Apples in Works (1746), VIII. 192

      Well roasted, with Sugar and Wine in a Cup,

      They'll make a sweet Bishop.

    • 1791, J. Boswell, Life of Johnson, anno 1752 I. 135

      A bowl of that liquor called Bishop, which Johnson had always liked.
12. (US, archaic) A bustle.
13. (UK, dialectal, archaic) A children's smock or pinafore.
    • 1874, Evelyn Waugh in Lanc. Gloss. (E.D.S.)

      Here; tak him, an wesh him; an' put him a clen bishop on.

Usage notes

Generally speaking, Christian churches observe their highest positions—popes, patriarchs, archbishops, etc.—as specially-empowered bishops; thus the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church is the Bishop of Rome, while the Pope of the Coptic Church is nominally bishop of Alexandria though resident in Cairo. In several denominations, the charism of a laying on of hands is believed to introduce new bishops to an unbroken apostolic succession initiated by the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost) at Pentecost described in the 2nd chapter of the Book of Acts.

Traditionally, the rank of bishop has been restricted to men and many conservative denominations continue this practice. Even denominations permitting the marriage of priests (such as Eastern Orthodoxy) typically require complete celibacy from those promoted to bishophood: owing to traditional aversions to divorce, this usually restricts the rank to single men and widowers. Catholic bishops are also priests; Eastern Orthodox bishops are usually (but not always) monks.

Synonyms

• (normally) diocesan bishop, suffragan bishop
• (canon law) ordinary, (Eastern Orthodoxy) hierarch
• (as creators of priests) consecrator

Hyponyms

Holonyms

• (Roman Catholicism, Methodism, worldwide) college
• (Eastern Orthodoxy, worldwide) Holy Synod, synod
• (Roman Catholicism, regional) conference, episcopal conference
• (others, regional) assembly, sobor, synod
• (ad hoc) council, ecumenical council
• (ad hoc, pejorative) conciliabule, conciliabulum
• (for cardinals) college, conclave

Derived terms

• (African weaverbirds):

Related terms

• (abbreviation) Bp.
• (female) bishopess
• episcopal, Episcopalian, episcopate
• bishopric

Descendants

• Tok Pisin: bisop
• → Hawaiian: pīhopa
• → Japanese: ビショップ
• → Kannada: ಬಿಷಪ್ (biṣap)
• → Korean: 비숍 (bisyop)
• → Maori: pīhopa
• → Thai: บิชอป (bì-chɔ́p)

Translations

See also

Verb

bishop (third-person singular simple present bishops, present participle bishoping or bishopping, simple past and past participle bishoped or bishopped)

1. (Christianity) To act as a bishop, to perform the duties of a bishop, especially to confirm another's membership in the church.
   • c. 1000, Thorpe's Laws, II. 348 (Bosw.)

     Se bisceop biþ gesett... to bisceopgenne cild.
   1. (by extension, jocularly, obsolete) To confirm (in its other senses).
2. (Christianity) To make a bishop.
   • 1549, H. Latimer, 2nd Serm. before Kynges Maiestie, 5th Serm. sig. Pviv

     Thys hathe bene often tymes... sene in preachers before they were byshoppyd or benificed.

   • 1861 November 23, Sat. Rev., 537

     There may be other... matters to occupy the thoughts of one about to be bishopped.

3. (Christianity, rare) To provide with bishops.
   • 1865 December 6, Daily Telegraph, 5/3

     Italy would be well bishoped if her episcopacy... did not exceed fifty-nine.

4. (UK, dialectal) To permit food (especially milk) to burn while cooking (from bishops' role in the inquisition or as mentioned in the quotation below, of horses).
   • ante 1536, Tyndale, Works, 166 (T.)

     If the porage be burned to, or the meate ouer rosted, we say the bishop hath put his foote in the potte or the bishop hath played the cooke, because the bishops burn who they lust and whosoever displeaseth them.
5. (by extension, of equestrianism) To make a horse seem younger, particularly by manipulation of its teeth.
   • 1727, R. Bradley, Family Dict. at "Horse"

     This way of making a Horse look young is... called Bishoping.

Derived terms

• bishop it

Etymology 2

Eponymous, from the surname Bishop.

Verb

bishop (third-person singular simple present bishops, present participle bishoping or bishopping, simple past and past participle bishoped or bishopped)

1. (UK, colloquial, obsolete) To murder by drowning.
   • 1840, R.H. Barham, Some Account of a New Play in Ingoldsby Legends 1st series, 308

     I Burked the papa, now I'll Bishop the son.

See also

• ♗, ♝

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1st ed. "bishop, n.", "bishop, v.¹", and "bishop, v.²". Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1887.
• Webster's New International Dictionary. "Bishop". 1913.