eucharist
/ˈjuːkəɹɪst/ noun
Forms eucharists
- noun (Christianity) A Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper of Christ, with the physical forms of bread and usually wine which are believed by certain denominations to become Christ himself or to host his spiritual presence.
- noun (by extension) A Christian religious service in which this sacrament is enacted.
- noun The substances received during this sacrament, namely the bread and wine, seen as Christ’s body and blood.
Synonyms
Holy Communion Communion Mass Divine Liturgy Qurbana church the elements Holy Eucharist sacrament of the Eucharist Holy Sacrament Liturgy Eucharistic liturgy Lord's Supper
Etymology
From Middle English eukarist, from Old French, from Ecclesiastical Latin eucharistia, from Ancient Greek εὐχαριστία (eukharistía, “gratitude, giving of thanks”). Displaced native Old English hūsl.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of giving thanks; thanksgiving. [Obs.]
- noun The sacrament of the Lord's Supper; the solemn act of ceremony of commemorating the death of Christ, in the use of bread and wine, as the appointed emblems; the communion.
Etymology [L. euchaistia, Gr. yearn: cf. F. euchaistie.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “eucharist”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details