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EPISTLE

 - 4 dictionary results

e⋅pis⋅tle

  [i-pis-uhl]
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–noun
1. a letter, esp. a formal or didactic one; written communication.
2. (usually initial capital letter) one of the apostolic letters in the New Testament.
3. (often initial capital letter) an extract, usually from one of the Epistles of the New Testament, forming part of the Eucharistic service in certain churches.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE epistol < L epistula, epistola < Gk epistol message, letter, equiv. to epi- epi- + stol- (var. s. of stéllein to send) + -ē n. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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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

    1. One of the letters included as a book in the New Testament.

    2. 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.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

epistle 
O.E., from O.Fr. epistle, from L. epistola "letter," from Gk. epistole "message, letter," from epistellein "send to," from epi- "to" + stellein "send." Also acquired in O.E. directly from L. as pistle. Specific sense of "letter from an apostle forming part of canonical scripture" is c.1200.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

epistle

a composition in prose or poetry written in the form of a letter to a particular person or group

Learn more about epistle with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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