ca·the·dral

[kuh-thee-druhl]
noun
1.
the principal church of a diocese, containing the bishop's throne.
2.
(in nonepiscopal denominations) any of various important churches.
adjective
3.
pertaining to or containing a bishop's throne.
4.
pertaining to or emanating from a chair of office or authority.

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English < Late Latin cathedrālis (ecclesia) a cathedral (church). See cathedra, -al1

ca·the·dral·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To cathedral
00:10
Cathedral is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
Collins
World English Dictionary
cathedral (kəˈθiːdrəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a.  the principal church of a diocese, containing the bishop's official throne
 b.  (as modifier): a cathedral city; cathedral clergy
 
[C13: from Late Latin (ecclesia) cathedrālis cathedral (church), from cathedra bishop's throne, from Greek kathedra seat]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cathedral
1587, "church of a bishop," from phrase cathedral church (c.1300), translating L.L. ecclesia cathedralis "church of a bishop's seat," from Gk. kathedra "seat, bench," from kata "down" + hedra "seat, base, chair, face of a geometric solid," from PIE base *sed- "to sit" (see sedentary).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

cathedral definition


A Christian church building in which a bishop has his official seat (cathedra is Latin for “chair”). A cathedral is usually large and imposing, and many cathedrals are important in the history of architecture. (See Chartres, Notre Dame de Paris, and Saint Paul's Cathedral.)

cathedral definition


A church building in which a Christian bishop has his official seat; cathedra is Latin for “chair.” Cathedrals are usually large and imposing, and many have been important in the development of architecture. The building of a cathedral, especially in the Middle Ages, was a project in which the entire town took part. (See Chartres; Notre Dame de Paris; and Saint Paul's Cathedral.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

cathedral

n.,adj. [see bazaar for derivation] The `classical' mode of software engineering long thought to be necessarily implied by Brooks's Law. Features small teams, tight project control, and long release intervals. This term came into use after analysis of the Linux experience suggested there might be something wrong (or at least incomplete) in the classical assumptions.
Example sentences
Oceanfront cottages boast cathedral ceilings and picture windows.
The historical work in cathedral libraries etc is pretty scarce and much sought after.
Many local people were forced to give up their houses and the cathedral became a mosque.
The cathedral is famous for its ornately carved columns.
Images for cathedral
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