bishop

[ bish-uh p ]
/ ˈbɪʃ əp /

noun

a person who supervises a number of local churches or a diocese, being in the Greek, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other churches a member of the highest order of the ministry.
a spiritual supervisor, overseer, or the like.
Chess. one of two pieces of the same color that may be moved any unobstructed distance diagonally, one on white squares and the other on black.
a hot drink made of port wine, oranges, cloves, etc.
Also called bishop bird. any of several colorful African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, often kept as pets.

verb (used with object), bish·oped, bish·op·ing.

to appoint to the office of bishop.

Origin of bishop

before 900; Middle English; Old English bisc(e)op < Vulgar Latin *ebiscopus, for Late Latin episcopus < Greek epískopos overseer, equivalent to epi- epi- + skopós watcher; see scope

OTHER WORDS FROM bishop

bish·op·less, adjective bish·op·like, adjective un·der·bish·op, noun

Words nearby bishop

bisexuality, bisferious pulse, bish, bishkek, bisho, bishop, bishop auckland, bishop sleeve, bishop violet, bishop's mitre, bishop's ring

British Dictionary definitions for bishopbird (1 of 3)

bishopbird
/ (ˈbɪʃəpˌbɜːd) /

noun

any African weaverbird of the genus Euplectes (or Pyromelana), the males of which have black plumage marked with red or yellow

British Dictionary definitions for bishopbird (2 of 3)

bishop
/ (ˈbɪʃəp) /

noun

(in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Greek Orthodox Churches) a clergyman having spiritual and administrative powers over a diocese or province of the Church See also suffragan Related adjective: episcopal
(in some Protestant Churches) a spiritual overseer of a local church or a number of churches
a chesspiece, capable of moving diagonally over any number of unoccupied squares of the same colour
mulled wine, usually port, spiced with oranges, cloves, etc

Word Origin for bishop

Old English biscop, from Late Latin epīscopus, from Greek episkopos, from epi- + skopos watcher

British Dictionary definitions for bishopbird (3 of 3)

Bishop
/ (ˈbɪʃəp) /

noun

Elizabeth . 1911–79, US poet, who lived in Brazil. Her poetry reflects her travelling experience, esp in the tropics

Medical definitions for bishopbird

Bishop
[ bĭsh′əp ]
J. Michael Born 1936

American microbiologist. He shared a 1989 Nobel Prize for discovering a sequence of genes that can cause cancer when mutated.

Scientific definitions for bishopbird

Bishop
[ bĭsh′əp ]
(John) Michael Born 1936

American molecular biologist who, working with Harold Varmus, discovered oncogenes. For this work, Bishop and Varmus shared the 1989 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine.

Cultural definitions for bishopbird

bishop

In some Christian churches, a person appointed to oversee a group of priests or ministers and their congregations. In the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Roman Catholic Church, bishops are considered the successors of the Twelve Apostles.