sermon

5 definitions found

sermon - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Sermon \Ser"mon\, n. [OE. sermoun, sermun, F. sermon, fr. L.
     sermo, -onis, a speaking, discourse, probably fr. serer,
     sertum, to join, connect; hence, a connected speech. See
     Series.]
     1. A discourse or address; a talk; a writing; as, the sermons
        of Chaucer. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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     2. Specifically, a discourse delivered in public, usually by
        a clergyman, for the purpose of religious instruction and
        grounded on some text or passage of Scripture.
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              This our life exempt from public haunts
              Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
              Sermons in stones and good in everything. --Shak.
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              His preaching much, but more his practice, wrought,
              A living sermon of the truths he taught. --Dryden.
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     3. Hence, a serious address; a lecture on one's conduct or
        duty; an exhortation or reproof; a homily; -- often in a
        depreciatory sense.
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  Sermon \Ser"mon\, v. i. [Cf. OF. sermoner, F. sermonner to
     lecture one.]
     To speak; to discourse; to compose or deliver a sermon.
     [Obs.] --Holinshed.
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           What needeth it to sermon of it more?    --Chaucer.
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  Sermon \Ser"mon\, v. t.
     1. To discourse to or of, as in a sermon. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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     2. To tutor; to lecture. [Poetic] --Shak.
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sermon - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  sermon
      n 1: an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during
           a church service) [syn: sermon, discourse, preaching]
      2: a moralistic rebuke; "your preaching is wasted on him" [syn:
         sermon, preaching]

sermon - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  60 Moby Thesaurus words for "sermon":
     address, admonishment, admonition, assignment, castigation,
     chalk talk, chastisement, chiding, correction, discourse,
     disquisition, dressing-down, exercise, exhortation, exposition,
     harangue, homework, homily, instruction, lecture,
     lecture-demonstration, lesson, moral, moral lesson, morality,
     moralization, object lesson, objurgation, preach, preachification,
     preaching, preachment, prelection, rating, rebuke, recital,
     recitation, religious discourse, remonstrance, remonstration,
     reprehension, reprimand, reproach, reprobation, reproof, reproval,
     scolding, sermonette, sermonizing, set task, skull session,
     spanking, speech, talk, talking-to, task, teaching, tirade,
     travelogue, upbraiding