Dominical | a. [ LL. dominicalis, for L. dominicus belonging to a master or lord (dominica dies the Lord's day), fr. dominus master or lord: cf. F. dominical. See Dame. ] 1. Indicating, or pertaining to, the Lord's day, or Sunday. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Relating to, or given by, our Lord; as, the dominical (or Lord's) prayer. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ] Some words altered in the dominical Gospels. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ] Dominical altar (Eccl.), the high altar. -- Dominical letter, the letter which, in almanacs, denotes Sunday, or the Lord's day (dies Domini). The first seven letters of the alphabet are used for this purpose, the same letter standing for Sunday during a whole year (except in leap year, when the letter is changed at the end of February). After twenty-eight years the same letters return in the same order. The dominical letters go backwards one day every common year, and two every leap year; e. g., if the dominical letter of a common year be G, F will be the dominical letter for the next year. Called also Sunday letter. Cf. Solar cycle, under Cycle, n. [ 1913 Webster ]
|
Dominican | prop. a. [ NL. Dominicanus, fr. Dominicus, Dominic, the founder: cf. F. Dominicain. ] Of or pertaining to St. Dominic (Dominic de Guzman), or to the religious communities named from him. [ 1913 Webster ] Dominican nuns, an order of nuns founded by St. Dominic, and chiefly employed in teaching. -- Dominican tertiaries the third order of St. Dominic. See Tertiary. [ 1913 Webster ]
|
Dominican | prop. n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of an order of mendicant monks founded by Dominic de Guzman, in 1215. A province of the order was established in England in 1221. The first foundation in the United States was made in 1807. The Master of the Sacred Palace at Rome is always a Dominican friar. The Dominicans are called also preaching friars, friars preachers, black friars (from their black cloak), brothers of St. Mary, and in France, Jacobins. [ 1913 Webster ] |