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A religious dance of the North American Indians, participated in by both sexes, and looked upon as a rite of invocation the purpose of which is, through trance and vision, to bring the dancer into communion with the unseen world and the spirits of departed friends. The dance is the chief rite of the Ghost-dance, or Mes…

Having a reverential and loving feeling towards God; religious. A brave good-fearing man. Tennyson.

Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious; religious; -- said of persons or actions. In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works. Tit. ii. 7.

A selection from one of the gospels, for use in a religious service; as, the gospel for the day.

A follower of Wyclif, the first English religious reformer; hence, a Puritan. [Obs.] Latimer. The persecution was carried on against the gospelers with much fierceness by those of the Roman persuasion. Strype.

A religious association or society, organized for charitable purposes or for assistance in parish work.

her natural or acquired, regarded as something had, possessed, and firmly retained; as, a religious habit; his habit is morose; elms have a spreading habit; esp., physical temperament or constitution; as, a full habit of body.

To make holy; to set apart for holy or religious use; to consecrate; to treat or keep as sacred; to reverence. "Hallowed be thy name." Matt. vi. 9. Hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein. Jer. xvii. 24. His secret altar touched with hallowed fire. Milton. In a larger sense . . . we can not hallow this ground [Ge…

To usher in; to be a harbinger of. "Thus did the star of religious freedom harbinger the day." Bancroft.

One of a religious sect, founded in Würtemburg in the last century, composed of followers of George Rapp, a weaver. They had all their property in common. In 1803, a portion of this sect settled in Pennsylvania and called the village thus established, Harmony.

An irreligious person. If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens. V. Knox. The heathen, as the term is used in the Scriptures, all people except the Jews; now used of all people except Christians, Jews, and Mohammedans. Ask of me, and I sh…

Irreligious; as, a heathenish way of living.

The religious system or rites of a heathen nation; idolatry; paganism.

of the genus Lawsonia (L. alba). The fragrant white blossoms are used by the Buddhists in religious ceremonies. The powdered leaves furnish a red coloring matter used in the East to stain the hails and fingers, the manes of horses, etc.

Religious opinion opposed to the authorized doctrinal standards of any particular church, especially when tending to promote schism or separation; lack of orthodox or sound belief; rejection of, or erroneous belief in regard to, some fundamental religious doctrine or truth; heterodoxy. Doubts 'mongst divines, and diffe…

society and lives in solitude; a recluse; an anchoret; especially, one who so lives from religious motives. He had been Duke of Savoy, and after a very glorious reign, took on him the habit of a hermit, and retired into this solitary spot. Addison.

A magistrate who had charge of religious matters, as at Byzantium. Liddel & Scott.

t of Hindostan. As an ethnical term it is confined to the Dravidian and Aryan races; as a religious name it is restricted to followers of the Veda.

The religious doctrines and rites of the Hindoos; Brahmanism.

A consecrated day; religious anniversary; a day set apart in honor of some person, or in commemoration of some event. See Holyday.