cathedral

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

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kəˈθiː.dɹəl/

Etymology 1

From Middle English cathedral, chathedral, cathiderall, from Old French [Term?], from Latin cathedrālis, from cathedra +‎ -ālis.

Adjective

cathedral (not comparable)

1. Relating to the office of a bishop or an archbishop.

Related terms

• cathedratic

Translations

Etymology 2

Ellipsis of cathedral church, from Middle English chirche cathederall, cathedrall chirch, calque of Late Latin ecclēsia cathedrālis (“church serving as the bishop's or archbishop's office”), from Latin ecclēsia +‎ cathedrālis. Displaced Old English hēafodċiriċe (literally “main church, head church”).

Noun

cathedral (plural cathedrals)

2. The principal church serving as the office (and some as place of residence) of an archdiocese's/a diocese's archbishop/bishop which is symbolized by an episcopal throne known as the cathedra.
3. (loosely or informally) A large or important church building.
4. (figurative) A large, impressive, lofty, and/or important building or place of some other kind.

5. A large buttressed structure built by certain termites.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 3

Proper noun

the cathedral

1. (rare) Alternative letter-case form of the Cathedral.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cathederall, cathedrall, cathedralle, cathiderall, chathedral, chathydralle

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French cathedral, from Latin cathedrālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˌtɛːˈdraːl/, /kaˈtɛːdral/

Adjective

cathedral

1. cathedral (relating to the see of a bishop)

Descendants

• English: cathedral

References

• “cathēdrāl, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.