Worship — Defs

01 n. Excellence of character; dignity; worth; worthiness.

1.
Excellence of character; dignity; worth; worthiness.[Obs.]
“A man of worship and honour.” — Chaucer.

“Elfin, born of noble state, And muckle worship in his native land.” — Spenser.
2.
Honor; respect; civil deference.[Obs.]
“Of which great worth and worship may be won.” — Spenser.

“Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.” — Luke xiv. 10.
3.
Hence, a title of honor, used in addresses to certain magistrates and others of rank or station.
“My father desires your worships' company.” — Shak.
4.
The act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; religious reverence and homage; adoration, or acts of reverence, paid to God, or a being viewed as God.
“The worship of God is an eminent part of religion, and prayer is a chief part of religious worship.” — Tillotson.
5.
Obsequious or submissive respect; extravagant admiration; adoration.
“'T is your inky brows, your black silk hair, Your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream, That can my spirits to your worship.” — Shak.
6.
An object of worship.
“In attitude and aspect formed to be At once the artist's worship and despair.” — Longfellow.

Phrases & compounds

Devil worship — See under Devil, Fire, Hero, etc.

02 v. t. To respect; to honor; to treat with civil reverence.

imp. & p. p. Worshiped; p. pr. & vb. n. Worshiping

1.
To respect; to honor; to treat with civil reverence.[Obsoles.]
“Our grave . . . shall have a tongueless mouth, Not worshiped with a waxen epitaph.” — Shak.

“This holy image that is man God worshipeth.” — Foxe.
2.
To pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honor of; to adore; to venerate.
“But God is to be worshiped.” — Shak.

“When all our fathers worshiped stocks and stones.” — Milton.
3.
To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission, as a lover; to adore; to idolize.
“With bended knees I daily worship her.” — Carew.

Syn. To adore; revere; reverence; bow to; honor.

03 v. i. To perform acts of homage or adoration; esp., to perform religious service.

1.
To perform acts of homage or adoration; esp., to perform religious service.
“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” — John iv. 20.

“Was it for this I have loved . . . and worshiped in silence?” — Longfellow.