piacular

American  

[pahy-ak-yuh-ler] / paɪˈæk yə lər /

adjective

1. expiatory; atoning; reparatory.

2. requiring expiation; sinful or wicked.

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piacular British  

/ paɪˈækjʊlə /

adjective

1. making expiation for a sacrilege

2. requiring expiation

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Other Word Forms

• piacularly adverb
• piacularness noun

Etymology

Origin of piacular

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin piāculāris “(of a rite or sacrifice) expiatory, atoning,” equivalent to piācul(um) “expiatory offering, sacrificial victim,” derivative of piā(re) “to propitiate a god, expiate,” derivative of pius “dutiful, faithful (to the gods, one’s country, family, kindred and friends)” + -culum neuter noun suffix for instruments and places + -āris adjective suffix; -cle ², -ar ¹

Example Sentences

Henry Williams was thus marked out more distinctly than ever as the piacular victim or scapegoat of the mission.

From A History of the English Church in New Zealand by Purchas, H. T. (Henry Thomas)

Where, on the other hand, the victim is a fellow tribesman, the sacrifice is expiatory or piacular.

From Myth, Ritual and Religion — Volume 1 by Lang, Andrew

Or what a piacular prevarication is it to borrow from any other church which was less reformed, a pattern of policy for this church which was more reformed.

From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by Gillespie, George

One conspicuous feature of Ezekiel’s system is the predominance of piacular sacrifice.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various

So in the piacular sacrifice when a clearing is made, the unknown deity is addressed in the last words of the prayer thus: "harum rerum ergo macte hoc porco piaculo immolando esto."

From The Religious Experience of the Roman People From the Earliest Times to the Age of Augustus by Fowler, W. Warde