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epistle

noun
/ɪˈpɪs.əl/

Etymology

PIE word *h₁epi The noun is derived from Middle English epistel, epistole, pistel (“letter; literary work in letter form; written legend or story; spoken communication; (Christianity) one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament; extract from such a letter read as part of the Mass”) [and other forms], and then partly: * from Old English epistol, epistola, pistol (“letter, epistle”), from Latin epistola (“letter, epistle; literary work in letter form”) (whence Late Latin epistola (“one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament”)), from Ancient Greek ἐπῐστολή (epĭstolḗ, “letter; message”), from ἐπῐστέλλω (epĭstéllō, “to inform by, or to send, a letter or message”) (from ἐπῐ- (epĭ-, prefix meaning ‘on, upon’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at; near; on”)) + στέλλω (stéllō, “to dispatch, send”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (“to locate; to place, put”))) + -η (-ē, suffix forming action nouns); and * from Anglo-Norman epistle, and Middle French epistle, epistele, epistole (“letter; (Christianity) one of the letters by an apostle in the New Testament; extract from such a letter read as part of the Mass”) (modern French épître), from Latin epistola (see above). The verb is derived from the noun.

  1. derived from epistola
  2. derived from epistle
  3. derived from epistle
  4. derived from *stel-✻ — “to locate; to place, put”
  5. derived from *h₁epi✻ — “at; near; on”
  6. derived from ἐπῐστολή — “letter; message”
  7. derived from epistola — “letter, epistle; literary work in letter form”
  8. inherited from epistol
  9. inherited from epistel

Definitions

  1. A literary composition in the form of a letter or series of letters, especially one in…

    A literary composition in the form of a letter or series of letters, especially one in verse.

    • [Y]our Grace ſhal herein perceiue a nevv faſhion of diſcourſe, by Epistles; nevv to our language, uſual to others: and (as Noueltie is neuer vvithout ſome plea of vſe) more free, more familiar.

  2. A letter, especially one which is formal or issued publicly.

    • After that John Frauncis [i.e., Giovanni Francesco Pico della Mirandola], the neuiew of Picꝰ [Picus], had (as it appeareth in the firſt epiſtle of Picus to him) begon a chaunge in his liuyng: […]
    • Plato alſo, that diuine Philoſopher, hath many Godly medicines agaynſt the poyſon of vayne pleaſure, in many places, but ſpecially in his Epistles to Dioniſius the tyrant of Sicilie: […]

  3. One of the books of the New Testament which was originally a letter issued by an apostle…

    One of the books of the New Testament which was originally a letter issued by an apostle to an individual or a community.

    • The Evangiles and Acts, teach us vvhat to beleeve, but the Epiſtles of the Apoſtles vvhat to do.
    • [T]he Doctrine of Faith, and Myſtery of Salvation, vvas more fully explained, in the Epiſtles vvrit by the Apoſtles.
  4. ›+ 7 more definitions

    1. An extract from a New Testament epistle (noun sense 3.1) or book other than a gospel…

      An extract from a New Testament epistle (noun sense 3.1) or book other than a gospel which is read during a church service, chiefly the Eucharist.

      • The Collectes ended, the prieſt, or he that is appointed, ſhall reade the Epiſtle, in a place aſſigned for the purpoſe, ſaying. The Epiſtle of ſainct Paule written in the [blank] Chapiter of [blank] to the.
      • EPISTLER, He vvho reads the Epiſtles in a Cathedral Church, &c.

    2. To write (something) in, or in the form of, a letter.

      • His braynes, his time, all hys maintenance and exhibition upon it he hath conſumed, and never intermitted, till ſuch time as he beganne to epiſtle it againſt mee, ſince which I have kept him a work indifferently.

    3. To write a letter to (someone).

    4. To write (something) as an introduction or preface to a literary work

      To write (something) as an introduction or preface to a literary work; also, to provide (a literary work) with an introduction or preface.

    5. To write a letter.

    6. To communicate with someone through a letter.

    7. Alternative letter-case form of epistle

      Alternative letter-case form of epistle:

The neighborhood

Derived

Catholic Epistle, epistlar, epistle lesson, epistler, epistle side, epistoler, Pastoral Epistle, epistling

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at epistle. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01epistle02letters03accumulated04accumulate05gradually06gradual

A definitional loop anchored at epistle. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

6 hops · closes at epistle

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA