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confarreate

 - 2 dictionary results

con⋅far⋅re⋅a⋅tion

  [kon-far-ee-ey-shuhn]
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–noun
(among the ancient Romans) a form of marriage ceremony, limited to patricians and obligatory for holders of certain ritual offices, marked by the offering of a cake.
Origin:
1590–1600; < L confarreātiōn- (s. of confarreātiō) equiv. to confarreā(re) to contract such a marriage (con- con- + -farreāre, v. deriv. of farreum cake made of emmer, deriv. of far emmer; see barley 1 ) + -tiōn- -tion

Related forms:
con⋅far⋅re⋅ate  [kuhn-far-ee-it, -eyt] , con⋅far⋅re⋅at⋅ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

confarreation 
1598, from L. confarreationem, from confarreare "to unite in marriage by the offering of bread," from com- "with, together" + far, farris "spelt, grain, meal." In ancient Rome, the most solemn form of marriage, in which an offering of bread was made in the presence of the Pontifex Maximus and 10 witnesses.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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