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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Scrip·ture       (skrĭp'chər)  Pronunciation Key  n.   A sacred writing or book. A passage from such a writing or book. The sacred writings of the Bible. Often used in the plural. Also called Holy Scriptures. scripture A statement regarded as authoritative. [Middle English, from Late Latin scrīptūra, from Latin, act of writing, from scrīptus, past participle of scrībere, to write; see skrībh- in Indo-European roots.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
scripture 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

scripture
noun
1.	the sacred writings of the Christian religions; "he went to carry the Word to the heathen" [syn: Bible]
2.	any writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Scripture

Scrip"ture\ (?; 135), n. [L. scriptura, fr. scribere, scriptum, to write: cf. OF. escripture, escriture, F. ['e]criture. See Scribe.]

1. Anything written; a writing; a document; an inscription.

I have put it in scripture and in remembrance. --Chaucer.

Then the Lord of Manny read the scripture on the tomb, the which was in Latin. --Ld. Berners.

2. The books of the Old and the new Testament, or of either of them; the Bible; -- used by way of eminence or distinction, and chiefly in the plural.

There is not any action a man ought to do, or to forbear, but the Scripture will give him a clear precept or prohibition for it. --South.

Compared with the knowledge which the Scripteres contain, every other subject of human inquiry is vanity. --Buckminster.

3. A passage from the Bible;; a text.

The devil can eite Scripture for his purpose. --Shak.

Hanging by the twined thread of one doubtful Scripture. --Milton.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Scripture

invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:15, 16; John 20:9; Gal. 3:22; 2 Pet. 1:20). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament canon in the time of our Lord was precisely the same as that which we now possess under that name. He placed the seal of his own authority on this collection of writings, as all equally given by inspiration (Matt. 5:17; 7:12; 22:40; Luke 16:29, 31). (See BIBLE ØT0000580; CANON.)