See Also: Parish(medicine)
parish(dictionary)
PARISH(law)
out-parish(dictionary)
parish(dictionary)
parish clerk(dictionary)
parish pump(dictionary)
parish register(dictionary)
Parish, Maxfield(dictionary)
AVOYELLES PARISH SCH BRD EMP(finance)

parish (iou)



parish noun. Also paroch, paroche. ME.
[Anglo-Norman, Old French paroche and Old & mod. French paroisse from ecclesiastical Latin parochia alt. (after parochus public purveyor from Greek parokhos) of paroechia from Greek paroikia sojourning, formed as PARA-1 + oikos dwelling, house.]
Ecclesiastical. Orig., a subdivision of a county, consisting of a township or cluster of townships having its own church and a priest to whom its tithes etc. were paid. Later, an area within such a subdivision having its own church. Now also, a subdivision of a diocese, usu. having its own church and a priest or pastor with spiritual responsibility for the people living in the area. ME.
A district, often identical with an original parish, constituted for various purposes of local civil administration or government, as (a) Hist. the administration of the Poor Law, (b) the maintenance of highways. Also civil parish. ME.
on the parish (a) Hist. receiving parish relief (freq. in go on the parish); (b) colloq. = on the dole s.v. DOLE noun1.
b. A subdivision of a US county made for purposes of local self-government (obsolete exc. Hist.); in Louisiana, a territorial division corresponding to a county in other States. US. M17.
The inhabitants of a parish, esp. those who belong to or attend a particular church. ME.
b. As many people as would fill a parish. rare (Shakes.). Only in E17.
c. A congregation. US. M19.
Curling. = HOUSE noun1 10b. L19.
Attrib. & comb.: In the senses 'of, pertaining to, or belonging to a parish, parochial', as parish altar, parish bounds, parish living, parish meeting, parish school, etc.; 'intended for the service or use of the parish', as parish magazine, parish room, etc.; Hist. 'maintained or provided by the parish as the agency for poor relief' as parish poor, parish relief, parish workhouse, etc. Special combs., as parish church the (principal or original) church of a parish; parish clerk (a) Hist. an official performing various duties concerned with the church in a parish; (b) an oficial in charge of the public records of a parish; parish communion, parish Eucharist: held for parishioners as the principal service of the day (usu. Sunday); parish CONSTABLE; parish council the council of a parish; spec. a local administrative body in rural civil parishes; parish councillor a member of a parish council; parish Eucharist: see parish communion above; parish lantern: see LANTERN noun; parish mass: celebrated in a parish church; parish priest: in charge of a parish; parish pump a pump provided for the use of parishioners (used allusively to indicate (esp. political) limitation of scope, outlook, or knowledge); parish pumpery parochialism; parish register: recording the baptisms, marriages, and funerals in a parish; parish-rigged adjective (Nautical slang) poorly or cheaply equipped or clothed; parish-top a spinning-top for the use of parishioners; parish work pastoral work in a parish, esp. helping the poor and the sick.
parishional adjective of or pertaining to a parish; parochial: E17-E19.
pa'rishioner noun an inhabitant or member of a parish LME.
pa'rishionership noun (rare) the status of a parishioner M19.