ceremony
Part of speech: noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English cerymonye, from Latin caerimonia or caeremonia, later often cerimonia (“sacredness, reverence, a sacred rite”).
Inflected forms:
form: ceremonies
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: ceremonys
pos: noun
tags: Early
Modern
plural
form: caeremony
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Early
Modern
form: cæremony
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Early
Modern
form: caerimony
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Early
Modern
form: cærimony
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Early
Modern
form: ceremoney
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Early
Modern
form: cerimony
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Early
Modern
form: cerimoney
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Early
Modern
form: ceremoney
pos: noun
tags: alternative
South-Asia
nonstandard
Senses:
gloss: A ritual, with religious or cultural significance.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: 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:
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.
Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
This year, due to the fact that the 24th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei falls on Shabbat, the ceremonies will be held on Sunday, the 25th of Tishrei, as they will be every year when the 24th of Tishrei falls on Shabbat.
gloss: An official gathering to celebrate, commemorate, or otherwise mark some event.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: a graduation ceremony, an opening ceremony
Promontory's "last spike" ceremony was so significant to the USA's history that it is still regularly re-enacted today, using replica locomotives that nose up to each other just as the originals did.
gloss: A formal socially established behaviour, often in relation to people of different ranks; formality.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: […] to feed were best at home;
From thence the sauce to meat is ceremony;
Meeting were bare without it.
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.
They went into the bars and interrupted the drinking, hustling the men out without ceremony.
gloss: Show of magnificence, display, ostentation.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: 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 […]
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.
gloss: An accessory or object associated with a ritual.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: […] his ceremonies laid by, in his nakedness he appears but a man […]
[…] 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.
gloss: An omen or portent.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: For he is superstitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams, and ceremonies.
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me.
Derived words: 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
Translations: