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rganization similar in some doctrines and practices to the Greek Church, in others to the Roman Catholic.

One of the class of diviners among the Etruscans and Romans, who foretold events by the inspection of the entrails of victims offered on the altars of the gods.

A Roman weight, answering to the libra or pound, equal to nearly eleven ounces Troy weight. It was divided into twelve ounces.

rent families, somewhat resembling the true ashes in their foliage. -- Mountain ash. See Roman tree, and under Mountain.

The first day of Lent; -- so called from a custom in the Roman Catholic church of putting ashes, on that day, upon the foreheads of penitents.

One of the chiefs or pontiffs of the Roman province of Asia, who had the superintendence of the public games and religious rites. Milner.

The brush used in the Roman Catholic church for sprinkling holy water on the people. [Also written aspergillus.]

The stoup, basin, or other vessel for holy water in Roman Catholic churches.

r form of molded base for a column or pilaster, described by Vitruvius, applied under the Roman Empire to the Ionic and Corinthian and "Roman Doric" orders, and imitated by the architects of the Renaissance. -- Attic faith, inviolable faith. -- Attic purity, special purity of language. -- Attic salt, Attic wit, a po…

ty and refinement; -- so called because the reign of Augustus Cæsar was the golden age of Roman literature. Thus the reign of Louis XIV. (b. 1638) has been called the Augustan age of French literature, and that of Queen Anne (b. 1664) the Augustan age of English literature. -- Augustan confession (Eccl. Hist.), or con…

The Roman personification of the dawn of day; the goddess of the morning. The poets represented her a rising out of the ocean, in a chariot, with rosy fingers dropping gentle dew.

To give a favorable turn to in commencing; to inaugurate; -- a sense derived from the Roman practice of taking the auspicium, or inspection of birds, before undertaking any important business. They auspicate all their proceedings. Burke.

A salutation and prayer to the Virgin Mary, as mother of God; -- used in the Roman Catholic church. To number Ave Maries on his beads. Shak.

ng. seven, Anglo-Saxon seofon, Ger. sieben, Lat. septem, Gr.ptan. The form of letter B is Roman, from Greek B (Beta), of Semitic origin. The small b was formed by gradual change from the capital B.

A small cooper coin formerly current in the Roman States, worth about a cent and a half.

adapted for recitation or singing; as, the ballad of Chevy Chase; esp., a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas.

To become barbarous. The Roman empire was barbarizing rapidly from the time of Trajan. De Quincey.

d of cap formerly worn by soldiers; -- called also barret cap. Also, the flat cap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics.

A building used by the Romans as a place of public meeting, with court rooms, etc., attached.

trung on a thread, and worn for ornament; or used in a rosary for counting prayers, as by Roman Catholics and Mohammedans, whence the phrases to tell beads, to at one's beads, to bid beads, etc., meaning, to be at prayer.