ceremony
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsɛɹ.ɪ.mə.ni/
ipa: /ˈsɛɹ.əˌmoʊ.ni/
note: Indic
ipa: /ˈsɛrɨm(ɵ)ni/
ipa: /sɛɹˈɛ.mə.ni/
Forms: form: ceremonies
form: ceremonys
form: caeremony
form: cæremony
form: caerimony
form: cærimony
form: ceremoney
form: cerimony
form: cerimoney
form: ceremoney
Etymology: From Middle English cerymonye, from Latin caerimonia or caeremonia, later often cerimonia (“sacredness, reverence, a sacred rite”).
Senses: examples: text: To whom the Priest with naked armes full net
Approching nigh, and murdrous knife well whet,
Gan mutter close a certaine secret charme,
With other diuelish ceremonies met:
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, pages 463-464:
text: In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep [the passover] in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 9:3:
text: Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
ref: 1881, Henry James, Jr., chapter 1, in The Portrait of a Lady, New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC, page 1:
glosses: A ritual, with religious or cultural significance.
examples: text: a graduation ceremony, an opening ceremony
glosses: An official gathering to celebrate, commemorate, or otherwise mark some event.
examples: text: […] to feed were best at home;
From thence the sauce to meat is ceremony;
Meeting were bare without it.
ref: c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:
text: Monsieur Bridet, notwithstanding his costume and his evident harrassment [sic], found in himself the presence of mind to remain the attentive manager, and with ceremony effected the proper introduction.
ref: 1928, W. Somerset Maugham, “Miss King”, in Ashenden, New York: Avon, published 1943, page 37:
text: They went into the bars and interrupted the drinking, hustling the men out without ceremony.
ref: 1959, C. S. Forester, Hunting the Bismarck, London: Michael Joseph:
glosses: A formal socially established behaviour, often in relation to people of different ranks; formality.
examples: text: Meanwhile the winged Heralds, by command
Of sovereign power, with awful ceremony
And trumpet’s sound, throughout the host proclaim
A solemn council forthwith to be held
At Pandemonium […]
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 752-756:
text: Immediately after her arrival, the queen rode forth to survey the camp and its environs: wherever she went, she was attended by a splendid retinue; and all the commanders vied with each other, in the pomp and ceremony with which they received her.
ref: 1829, Washington Irving, chapter 46, in A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, volume II, Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Carey, page 254:
glosses: Show of magnificence, display, ostentation.
examples: text: […] his ceremonies laid by, in his nakedness he appears but a man […]
ref: 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
text: […] Well, believe this,
No ceremony that to great ones ’longs,
Not the king’s crown, nor the deputed sword,
The marshal’s truncheon, nor the judge’s robe,
Become them with one half so good a grace
As mercy does.
ref: c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
glosses: An accessory or object associated with a ritual.
examples: text: For he is superstitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies.
ref: 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
text: Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me.
ref: 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
glosses: An omen or portent.
Derived terms: award ceremony
awards ceremony
ceremonial
ceremonialism
ceremonially
ceremonialness
ceremoniless
ceremonious
ceremoniously
ceremoniousness
closing ceremony
flag ceremony
initiation ceremony
master of ceremonies
master of ceremony
mistress of ceremonies
New Fire ceremony
opening ceremony
preceremony
ramp ceremony
smoking ceremony
stand on ceremony
tea ceremony
without ceremony