epistle
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: Christianity
Etymology: PIE word
 *h₁epi
The noun is derived from Middle English epistel, epistole, pistel (“letter; literary work in letter form; written legend or story; spoken communication; (Christianity) one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament; extract from such a letter read as part of the Mass”) [and other forms], and then partly:
* from Old English epistol, epistola, pistol (“letter, epistle”), from Latin epistola (“letter, epistle; literary work in letter form”) (whence Late Latin epistola (“one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament”)), from Ancient Greek ἐπῐστολή (epĭstolḗ, “letter; message”), from ἐπῐστέλλω (epĭstéllō, “to inform by, or to send, a letter or message”) (from ἐπῐ- (epĭ-, prefix meaning ‘on, upon’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at; near; on”)) + στέλλω (stéllō, “to dispatch, send”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (“to locate; to place, put”))) + -η (-ē, suffix forming action nouns); and
* from Anglo-Norman epistle, and Middle French epistle, epistele, epistole (“letter; (Christianity) one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament; extract from such a letter read as part of the Mass”) (modern French épître), from Latin epistola (see above).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Inflected forms:
form: epistles
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: Epistle
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: epistles
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: epistling
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: epistled
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: epistled
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: A literary composition in the form of a letter or series of letters, especially one in verse.
pos: noun
examples: [Y]our Grace ſhal herein perceiue a nevv faſhion of diſcourſe, by Epistles; nevv to our language, uſual to others: and (as Noueltie is neuer vvithout ſome plea of vſe) more free, more familiar.
For in this Addreſs to your Lordſhip, I deſign not a Treatiſe of Heroick Poetry, but vvrite in a looſe Epiſtolary vvay, ſomevvhat tending to that Subject, after the Example of Horace, in his Firſt Epiſtle of the Second Book to Auguſtus Cæſar, and of that to the Piſo’s, vvhich vve call his Art of Poetry.
But let our poet, while he writes epistles, though never so familiar, still remember that he writes in verse, and must for that reason have a more than ordinary care not to fall into prose and a vulgar diction, excepting where the nature and humour of the thing does necessarily require it.
In all Compoſitions of Genius, therefore, 'tis requiſite that the VVriter have ſome Plan or Object; and tho' he may be hurry'd from this Plan by the Vehemence of Thought, as in an Ode, or drop it careleſly, as in an Epiſtle or Eſſay, there muſt appear ſome Aim or Intention, in his firſt ſetting out, if not in the Compoſition of the vvhole VVork.
gloss: A letter, especially one which is formal or issued publicly.
pos: noun
tags: humorous
literary
examples: After that John Frauncis [i.e., Giovanni Francesco Pico della Mirandola], the neuiew of Picꝰ [Picus], had (as it appeareth in the firſt epiſtle of Picus to him) begon a chaunge in his liuyng: […]
Plato alſo, that diuine Philoſopher, hath many Godly medicines agaynſt the poyſon of vayne pleaſure, in many places, but ſpecially in his Epistles to Dioniſius the tyrant of Sicilie: […]
I vvill drop in his vvay ſome obſcure Epiſtles of loue, vvherein by the colour of his beard, the ſhape of his legge, the manner of his gate, the expreſſure of his eye, forehead, and complection, he ſhall finde himſelfe moſt feelingly perſonated.
[I]n publiſhing theſe Epiſtles at this Time, you pleaſe to ſay, That I have done like Hezekiah, vvhen he ſhevved his Treaſures to the Babylonians, that I have diſcovered my Riches to Thieves, vvho vvill bind me faſt and ſhare my Goods. To this I anſvver, that if thoſe innocent Letters (for I knovv none of them but is ſuch) fall among ſuch Thieves, they vvill have no great prize to carry avvay, it vvill be but petty larceny: […]
The moſt authentic account of the education and adventures of Julian, is contained in the epiſtle or manifeſto vvhich he himſelf addreſſed to the ſenate and people of Athens.
At this moment his page entered with a packet. "Lights!" said Evelyn, carelessly—for, as our readers will have already divined, he was the melancholy soliloquist—"I may as well read the Cardinal's epistle at once;—but I am no tool for his purpose.
Wide flew the doors, and lo, / Messire de Beringhen, and this epistle!
Then one morning there came an enigmatic note slipped into our letterbox. "Dear me, Mr. Holmes. Dear me!" said this singular epistle. There was neither superscription nor signature. I laughed at the quaint message; but Holmes showed unwonted seriousness.
gloss: A letter, especially one which is formal or issued publicly.
pos: noun
tags: historical
humorous
literary
specifically
examples: [I]n the Epiſtle Dedicatorie thereof to a great man of this land, whom he calls his verie right honourable good Lord, he recounteth his large bounties beſtowed upon him, and talkes of the ſecret favours which hee did him in his ſtudie or cloſet at court.
[L]eſt a longer Epiſtle may diminiſh your pleaſure, I ſhal not adventure to make this Epiſtle longer then to add this follovving truth, That I am really, Sir, Your moſt affectionate Friend, and moſt humble Servant, Iz[aak] Wa[lton].
gloss: One of the books of the New Testament which was originally a letter issued by an apostle to an individual or a community.
pos: noun
examples: The Evangiles and Acts, teach us vvhat to beleeve, but the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles vvhat to do.
[T]he Doctrine of Faith, and Myſtery of Salvation, vvas more fully explained, in the Epiſtles vvrit by the Apoſtles.
Even last century scholars had begun to search for the cities in Asia Minor whose names have become so familiar to the Christian world through the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of St. Paul. Where were the places whose inhabitants received the famous Epistle to the Galatians?
gloss: An extract from a New Testament epistle (noun sense 3.1) or book other than a gospel which is read during a church service, chiefly the Eucharist.
pos: noun
examples: The Collectes ended, the prieſt, or he that is appointed, ſhall reade the Epiſtle, in a place aſſigned for the purpoſe, ſaying. The Epiſtle of ſainct Paule written in the [blank] Chapiter of [blank] to the.
EPISTLER, He vvho reads the Epiſtles in a Cathedral Church, &c.
gloss: To write (something) in, or in the form of, a letter.
pos: verb
tags: humorous
literary
transitive
examples: His braynes, his time, all hys maintenance and exhibition upon it he hath conſumed, and never intermitted, till ſuch time as he beganne to epiſtle it againſt mee, ſince which I have kept him a work indifferently.
gloss: To write a letter to (someone).
pos: verb
tags: archaic
humorous
literary
transitive
gloss: To write (something) as an introduction or preface to a literary work; also, to provide (a literary work) with an introduction or preface.
pos: verb
tags: rare
transitive
examples: And though antient Tragedy uſe no Prologue, yet uſing ſometimes, in caſe of ſelf defence, or explanation, that vvhich Martial calls an Epiſtle; in behalf of this Tragedy coming forth after the antient manner, much different from vvhat among us paſſes for beſt, thus much before-hand may be Epiſtl'd; that Chorus is here introduc'd after the Greek manner, not antient only but modern, and ſtill in uſe among the Italians.
gloss: To write a letter.
pos: verb
tags: humorous
intransitive
literary
examples: Devinitie (the heaven of all artes) for a while drew his thoughts unto it; but ſhortly after the world, the fleſh, and the divell with-drewe him from that, and needes he would be of a more gentleman-like luſtie cut: whereupon hee fell to morrall epiſtling and poetrie.
gloss: To communicate with someone through a letter.
pos: verb
tags: humorous
intransitive
literary
Synonyms: pistle
Related words: epistolarian
epistolary
epistolation
epistolean
epistolic
epistolical
epistolist
epistolize
epistolographer
epistolographic
epistolographist
epistolography
pistle
open letter
Derived words: Catholic Epistle
catholic epistle
epistlar
epistle lesson
epistler
epistle side
epistoler
Pastoral Epistle
pastoral epistle
epistling
Translations:
lang: Arabic
word: رِسَالَة
roman: risāla
lang: Arabic
word: ألوكة
lang: Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
word: ܐܸܓܲܪܬܵܐ
roman: ʾigārta
lang: Armenian
word: նամակ
roman: namak
lang: Bulgarian
word: послание
roman: poslanie
lang: Catalan
word: epístola
lang: Czech
word: epištola
lang: Finnish
word: epistola
lang: French
word: épître
lang: French
word: épitre
lang: German
word: Epistel
lang: Greek
word: επιστολή
roman: epistolí
lang: Hebrew
word: אִגֶּרֶת
roman: igéret
lang: Hungarian
word: episztola
lang: Italian
word: epistola
lang: Latin
word: epistola
lang: Macedonian
word: послание
roman: poslanie
lang: Malay
word: warkah
lang: Polish
word: epistoła
lang: Polish
word: list
lang: Portuguese
word: epístola
lang: Portuguese
word: carta
lang: Romanian
word: epistolă
lang: Romanian
word: epistole
lang: Russian
word: посла́ние
roman: poslánije
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: litir
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: епѝстола
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: epìstola
lang: Spanish
word: epístola
lang: Swedish
word: epistel
lang: Tocharian B
word: parso
lang: Ukrainian
word: посла́ння
roman: poslánnja
lang: Finnish
word: kirjoittaa kirje