epistle


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e·pis·tle

 (ĭ-pĭs′əl)
n.
1. A letter, especially a formal one. See Synonyms at letter.
2. A literary composition in the form of a letter.
3. Epistle Bible
a. One of the letters included as a book in the New Testament.
b. An excerpt from one of these letters, read as part of a religious service.

[Middle English epistel, from Old French epistle, from Latin epistola, from Greek epistolē, from epistellein, to send a message to : epi-, epi- + stellein, to send; see stel- in Indo-European roots.]
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.

epistle

(ɪˈpɪsəl)
n
1. a letter, esp one that is long, formal, or didactic
2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a literary work in letter form, esp a dedicatory verse letter of a type originated by Horace
[Old English epistol, via Latin from Greek epistolē, from epistellein to send to, from stellein to prepare, send]

Epistle

(ɪˈpɪsəl)
n
1. (Bible) New Testament any of the apostolic letters of Saints Paul, Peter, James, Jude, or John
2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) a reading from one of the Epistles, forming part of the Eucharistic service in many Christian Churches
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

e•pis•tle

(ɪˈpɪs əl)

n.
1. a letter, esp. a formal or didactic one.
2. (usu. cap.)
a. one of the apostolic letters in the New Testament.
b. an extract read at the Eucharistic service in certain churches, usu. from the Epistles.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English epistol < Latin epistula, epistola < Greek epistolḗ message, letter]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

epistle

- From Greek epistole, "something sent to someone."
See also related terms for sent.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

epistle

A letter or a literary work imitating letter form.
Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.epistle - a specially long, formal letter
letter, missive - a written message addressed to a person or organization; "mailed an indignant letter to the editor"
2.Epistle - a book of the New Testament written in the form of a letter from an Apostle
book - a major division of a long written composition; "the book of Isaiah"
New Testament - the collection of books of the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline and other epistles, and Revelation; composed soon after Christ's death; the second half of the Christian Bible
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

epistle

noun letter, note, message, communication, missive He was deluged by ever more plaintive epistles from his devoted admirer.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

epistle

noun
A written communication directed to another:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
رِسالَه
brevepistel
epistolaposlanica
apostoli levél
postulabréf; pistill
epistola
apaštalo laiškas
vēstule
epištola

epistle

[ɪˈpɪsl] N (hum) (= letter) → epístola f
Epistle (Rel) → Epístola f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

epistle

[ɪˈpɪsəl] népître f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

epistle

n (old, iro)Epistel f; (Bibl) → Brief m (→ to an +acc)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

epistle

[ɪˈpɪsl] nepistola
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

epistle

(iˈpisl) noun
a letter, especially in the Bible from an apostle. The epistles of St Paul.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Ruby Gillis wrote a gushing epistle deploring Anne's absence, assuring her she was horribly missed in everything, asking what the Redmond "fellows" were like, and filling the rest with accounts of her own harrowing experiences with her numerous admirers.
Addison, a real gentleman, disowned the defense, and this, with other slights suffered or imagined by Pope's jealous disposition, led to estrangement and soon to the composition of Pope's very clever and telling satire on Addison as 'Atticus,' which Pope did not publish, however, until he included it in his 'Epistle to Dr.
In the beginning of one of them Alfred says, "There are only a few on this side of the Humber who can understand the Divine Service, or even explain a Latin epistle in English, and I believe not many on the other side of the Humber either.
Pardon, therefore, what I have said in this epistle, not only without your consent, but absolutely against it; and give me at least leave, in this public manner, to declare that I am, with the highest respect and gratitude,--
The other was a large square epistle, resplendent with the terrible arms of his Eminence the cardinal duke.
"The epistle is laconic," said D'Artagnan; "and if there had not been a postscript, probably I should not have understood it; but happily there is a postscript."
The circumstances amid which he had left Tess were such that though, while on the south of the Equator and just in receipt of her loving epistle, it had seemed the easiest thing in the world to rush back into her arms the moment he chose to forgive her, now that he had arrived it was not so easy as it had seemed.
From the "Master of Sentences," he had passed to the "Capitularies of Charlemagne;" and he had devoured in succession, in his appetite for science, decretals upon decretals, those of Theodore, Bishop of Hispalus; those of Bouchard, Bishop of Worms; those of Yves, Bishop of Chartres; next the decretal of Gratian, which succeeded the capitularies of Charlemagne; then the collection of Gregory IX.; then the Epistle of
My mother did not relish this at all, and now made many objections to my accepting the situation; in which my sister warmly supported her: but, unwilling to be balked again, I overruled them all; and, having first obtained the consent of my father (who had, a short time previously, been apprised of these transactions), I wrote a most obliging epistle to my unknown correspondent, and, finally, the bargain was concluded.
They compose an ardent epistle, a declaration in fact, and they carry the letter upstairs themselves, so as to elucidate whatever might appear not perfectly intelligible in the letter."
Even the prophets wrote book after book and epistle after epistle, yet never once hinted at the existence of a great continent on our side of the water; yet they must have known it was there, I should think.
It is so difficult to become clearly possessed of the contents of almost any letter, in a violent hurry, that I had to read this mysterious epistle again, twice, before its injunction to me to be secret got mechanically into my mind.