Holy

Holy, hō′li, adj. perfect in a moral sense: pure in heart: religious: set apart to a sacred use.—adv. Hō′lily, in a holy manner: piously.—n. Hō′liness, state of being holy: religious goodness: sanctity: a title of the pope.—adj. Hō′ly-cru′el (Shak.), cruel through excess of holiness.—ns. Hō′ly-day, a formal spelling of holiday (q.v.); Hō′ly-off′ice, the Inquisition; Hō′ly-rood, the holy cross in R.C. churches over the entrance to the chancel; Hō′lystone, a sandstone used by seamen for cleansing the decks, said to be named from cleaning the decks for Sunday.—v.t. to scrub with a holystone.—ns. Hō′ly-Thurs′day, the day on which the ascension of our Saviour is commemorated, ten days before Whitsuntide; Hō′ly-wa′ter, water blessed by the priest or bishop for certain religious uses; Hō′ly-week, the week before Easter, kept holy to commemorate our Lord's passion; Hō′ly-writ, the holy writings: the Scriptures.—Holy Alliance, a league formed after the fall of Napoleon (1815) by the sovereigns of Austria Russia, and Prussia, professedly to regulate all national and international relations in accordance with the principles of Christian charity; Holy city, Jerusalem: also specially applied to Rome, Mecca, Benares, Allahabad, &c.; Holy coat, the seamless coat of Jesus, claimed to be kept at Trèves; Holy communion (see Communion); Holy Family, the infant Saviour with Joseph, Mary, &c.; Holy Ghost, Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son; Holy grail (see Grail); Holy grass, a sweet-smelling grass about a foot high, with a brownish glossy lax panicle—sometimes strewed on the floors of churches on festival days, whence its name; Holy land, Palestine; Holy of holies, The most holy place, the inner chamber of the Jewish tabernacle, which the high-priest alone might enter, and but once a year; Holy One, God: Christ: the one who is holy, by way of emphasis: one separated to the service of God; Holy orders, ordination to the rank of minister in holy things: the Christian ministry; Holy places, scenes of the Saviour's life, the sepulchre, &c.; Holy quest, the search for the Holy grail; Holy Roman Empire, the official denomination of the German Empire from 962 down to 1806, when Francis II. of Hapsburg resigned the imperial title; Holy war, a name impiously given to a war for the extirpation of heresy, as that against the Albigenses, &c.: one of the Crusades. [A.S. hálig, lit. whole, perfect, healthy—hál, sound, whole; conn. with hail, heal, whole.]