# bishop

Pronunciation: say "BISH-uhp" /ˈbɪʃəp/

## Noun

1. A senior official in the Christian church hierarchy who governs a diocese and oversees its priests, deacons, and property.
   - Simple: A senior Christian leader who is in charge of the churches and priests across a wide area.
   - _The bishop ordained six new priests at the cathedral._
   - _Each bishop reports to the archbishop above him._
2. The chess piece, marked ♗ or ♝, that moves diagonally across the board any number of squares.
   - Simple: A chess piece that moves any number of squares along diagonal lines.
   - _He fianchettoed his bishop to control the long diagonal._
   - _Trading a bishop for a knight changed the whole pawn structure._
3. A sweet drink made from wine, usually mulled and spiced port flavored with oranges, lemons, and sugar.
   - Simple: A sweet, warm drink made from wine mixed with oranges, lemons, and sugar.
   - _We warmed up after the walk with a glass of bishop._
   - _She ladled steaming bishop into cups for the carol singers._
4. Any of several African weaverbirds of the genus Euplectes, close relatives of the widowbirds, whose breeding males are brightly colored.
   - Simple: A small, brightly colored African bird related to weaverbirds.
   - _The male bishop molts into brilliant scarlet feathers during the breeding season._
   - _Birdwatchers spotted a flock of bishops nesting in the marsh._
7. An official or chief priest holding a comparable leading role in a religion other than Christianity. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: A high-ranking priest or leader holding a similar role in a non-Christian religion.
   - _The bishop of the ward managed the congregation's welfare program._
   - _Members brought their concerns to the bishop for guidance._
8. A flowering plant of the genus Bifora, part of the carrot family.
   - Simple: A small flowering plant belonging to the Bifora group of the carrot family.
   - _A cluster of bishop spread across the meadow by midsummer._
   - _Botanists collected bishop from the dry hillside for the herbarium._
9. A ladybug; a small beetle of the family Coccinellidae, typically red or orange with black spots. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: A small, round, often red-and-black-spotted beetle of the ladybug family.
   - _A bishop settled on the rose leaves, hunting for aphids._
   - _Gardeners welcome the bishop because it eats garden pests._
12. The mock chief chosen to preside over the Feast of Fools or the St. Nicholas Day celebrations.
   - Simple: A person picked to lead the fun at the old Feast of Fools or on St. Nicholas Day.
   - _On St. Nicholas Day a young boy was elected bishop and led the merry procession._
   - _The bishop of the Feast of Fools presided over an evening of cheerful disorder._

## Verb

5. To perform the duties of a bishop, especially to confirm a person's membership in the church.
   - Simple: To carry out the duties of a senior church leader, especially confirming someone into the church.
   - _Only a senior cleric may bishop new believers in the church._
   - _He traveled between parishes to bishop those awaiting confirmation._
6. To raise a person to the office of bishop; to consecrate someone as a bishop.
   - Simple: To appoint someone as a senior church leader.
   - _The synod voted to bishop the well-respected abbot._
   - _He was bishoped at a grand ceremony attended by clergy from across the region._
10. To make a horse appear younger than its true age, especially by tampering with its teeth.
   - Simple: To make a horse look younger than it is, usually by changing its teeth.
   - _He was caught trying to bishop a worn-out gelding at the fair._
   - _They would bishop any aging horse to fool unwary buyers._
11. To allow food, especially milk, to scorch or burn while cooking. *(dialectal, UK)*
   - Simple: To let milk or other food burn while it is cooking.
   - _The cook bishoped the cream and filled the kitchen with an acrid smell._
   - _If you leave it untended, the milk will bishop on the stove._

## Noun

13. A padded frame or cushion worn beneath a woman's skirt to make it stand out at the back. *(archaic, US)*
   - Simple: A pad or frame worn under a skirt to make the back puff out.
   - _The seamstress adjusted the bishop beneath the heavy silk skirt._
   - _Fashion plates of the day show skirts swelled out by a generous bishop._
14. A loose protective overgarment worn by children, in the manner of a smock or pinafore. *(archaic, UK)*
   - Simple: A loose outer garment worn by children to keep their clothes clean.
   - _The children pulled on their bishops before sitting down to their porridge._
   - _She kept a clean bishop ready for church on Sundays._
18. A watchman, inspector, or overseer. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A watchman, inspector, or person who keeps an eye on others.
19. The holder of the Greek or Roman office of episcopus, an overseer of the public distribution of grain and similar duties. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An official in ancient Greece or Rome who oversaw the handing out of grain to the people.

## Verb

15. To supply a church or territory with bishops. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To give a church or region its bishops.
   - _Rome moved quickly to bishop the new provinces of the empire._
   - _The reformed church struggled to bishop its scattered congregations._
16. To confirm or settle a matter, used jocularly in the ordinary senses of "confirm." *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To make something sure or settled, used in a joking way.
17. To murder someone by drowning. *(obsolete, UK)*
   - Simple: To kill a person by drowning them.
   - _The resurrectionists were accused of bishoping vagrants to supply the anatomists._
   - _They feared the pair meant to bishop him and sell his corpse._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–16, 18–19** — From Middle English "bishop" and Old English "bisċop," going back through Vulgar and classical Latin "episcopus" ("overseer, supervisor") to Ancient Greek "epískopos" ("overseer"), built from "epí" ("over") and "skopós" ("watcher"). The word was used in Greek and Latin both generally and as a title for civil officers.
**Meaning 17** — This sense is eponymous, coming from the surname Bishop.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bishop (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).