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One of the tannic acids, extracted from catechu as a white, crystaline substance; -- called also catechuic acid, and catechuin.

The act of catechising.

To question or interrogate; to examine or try by questions; -- sometimes with a view to reproof, by eliciting from a person answers which condemn his own conduct. Swift.

One who catechises.

, reduced to the form of questions and answers. The Jews, even till this day, have their catechisms. Hooker. The Larger Catechism, The Shorter Catechism. See Westminster Assembly, under Assembly.

Of or pertaining to a catechism, having the form of questions and answers; catechical.

One who instructs by question and answer, especially in religions matters.

Of or pertaining to a catechist or to a catechism. Dr. H. More.

See Catechise.

A dry, brown, astringent extract, obtained by decoction and evaporation from the Acacia catechu, and several other plants growing in India. It contains a large portion of tannin or tannic acid, and is used in medicine and in the arts. It is also known by the names terra japonica, cutch, gambier, etc. Ure. Dunglison.…

Of or pertaining to catechu or its derivatives. See catechin.

One who is receiving rudimentary instruction in the doctrines of Christianity; a neophyte; in the primitive church, one officially recognized as a Christian, and admitted to instruction preliminary to admission to full membership in the church.

The state or condition of a catechumen or the time during which one is a catechumen.

Of or pertaining to catechumens; as, catechumenical instructions.

A catechumen. Bp. Morton.

Capable of being employed by itself as a term; -- said of a word.

Of or pertaining to a category.

Absolutely; directly; expressly; positively; as, to affirm categorically.

The quality of being categorical, positive, or absolute. A. Marvell.

One who inserts in a category or list; one who classifies. Emerson.