parish

[par-ish]

noun

1. an ecclesiastical district having its own church and member of the clergy.

2. a local church with its field of activity.

3. (in Louisiana) a county.

4. the people of an ecclesiastical or civil parish.

5. Curling.,  house.

parish

/ ˈpærɪʃ /

noun

1. a subdivision of a diocese, having its own church and a clergyman

2. the churchgoers of such a subdivision

3. (in England and, formerly, Wales) the smallest unit of local government in rural areas

4. (in Louisiana) a unit of local government corresponding to a county in other states of the US

5. the people living in a parish

6. history receiving parochial relief

Other Word Forms

• interparish adjective
• transparish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parish¹

1250–1300; Middle English, variant of parosshe < Middle French paroisse < Late Latin parochia, alteration of paroecia < Late Greek paroikía, derivative of Greek pároikos neighbor, (in Christian usage) sojourner ( paroicous ); -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of parish¹

C13: from Old French paroisse, from Church Latin parochia, from Late Greek paroikia, from paroikos Christian, sojourner, from Greek: neighbour, from _para- ¹ (beside) + oikos house

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the parish,

   1. receiving charity from local authorities.

   2. Informal. meagerly or inadequately supplied.

Example Sentences

Mr Walker is stuck in Black River, sleeping in whoever's house is still standing that will accept him, he says, while his eight-year-old son is in Westmoreland, the next parish over.

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"The confirmed death toll from Hurricane Melissa is now at 19," including nine in the far west parish of Westomoreland, Information Minister Dana Morris Dixon told local news outlets including the Jamaica Gleaner.

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Church users are having to learn to live alongside these creatures of the night - and some parishes are even starting to see bats as more of a treat than a trick.

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In Jamaica, the impact was most severe in the southwestern parish of St Elizabeth, where knee-deep mud and washed-out bridges left towns such as Black River cut off.

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Local government minister Desmond Mckenzie said on Tuesday afternoon that the southwestern parish of St Elizabeth was "under water", with at least three families trapped in their homes in the community of Black River.

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Related Words

• church