bishop

¹

[ bish-uhp ]

noun

1. a person who supervises a number of local churches or a diocese, being in the Greek, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other churches a member of the highest order of the ministry.
2. a spiritual supervisor, overseer, or the like.
3. Chess. one of two pieces of the same color that may be moved any unobstructed distance diagonally, one on white squares and the other on black.
4. a hot drink made of port wine, oranges, cloves, etc.
5. Also called bishop bird. any of several colorful African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, often kept as pets.

verb (used with object)

, bish·oped, bish·op·ing.

1. to appoint to the office of bishop.

Bishop

²

[ bish-uhp ]

noun

1. Elizabeth, 1911–79, U.S. poet.
2. Hazel Gladys, 1906–1998, U.S. chemist and businesswoman.
3. John Peale, 1892–1944, U.S. poet and essayist.
4. Morris (Gilbert), 1893–1973, U.S. humorist, poet, and biographer.
5. William Avery Billy, 1894–1956, Canadian aviator: helped to establish Canadian air force.

bishop

¹

/ ˈbɪʃəp /

noun

1. (in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Greek Orthodox Churches) a clergyman having spiritual and administrative powers over a diocese or province of the Church See also suffragan episcopal
2. (in some Protestant Churches) a spiritual overseer of a local church or a number of churches
3. a chesspiece, capable of moving diagonally over any number of unoccupied squares of the same colour
4. mulled wine, usually port, spiced with oranges, cloves, etc

Bishop

²

/ ˈbɪʃəp /

noun

1. BishopElizabeth19111979FUSWRITING: poet Elizabeth . 1911–79, US poet, who lived in Brazil. Her poetry reflects her travelling experience, esp in the tropics

Bishop

/ bĭsh′əp /

1. American molecular biologist who, working with Harold Varmus, discovered oncogenes. For this work, Bishop and Varmus shared the 1989 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine.

bishop

1. In some Christian churches , a person appointed to oversee a group of priests or ministers and their congregations. In the Anglican Communion , the Eastern Orthodox Church , and the Roman Catholic Church , bishops are considered the successors of the Twelve Apostles .

Other Words From

• bish·op·less adjective
• bish·op·like adjective
• un·der·bish·op noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bishop¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English bisc ( e ) op < Vulgar Latin *ebiscopus, for Late Latin episcopus < Greek epískopos overseer, equivalent to epi- epi- + skopós watcher; scope

Word History and Origins

Origin of bishop¹

Old English biscop , from Late Latin epīscopus , from Greek episkopos , from epi- + skopos watcher

Example Sentences

She made history by becoming the first female diocesan bishop and the first female bishop in the House of Lords.

From BBC

In 2001, ten years after the abuse ended, she reported it to two bishops.

From BBC

“The bishop is telling me to stop,” he said in the second video, “And I told him, ‘I’m not going to stop.’

From Los Angeles Times

Early in his tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, he was credited with helping usher through the vote that allowed women to become bishops, being supportive of the move through often tempestuous division.

From BBC

One survivor said bishops "who kept the stories to themselves" should now be the focus of questioning.

From BBC

Related Words

• administrator
• cleric
• director
• patriarch
• pontiff
• pope
• prelate
• priest