Ceremony

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ceremony \Cer"e*mo*ny\, n.; pl. {Ceremonies}. [F.
     c['e]r['e]monie, L. caerimonia; perh. akin to E. create and
     from a root signifying to do or make.]
     1. Ar act or series of acts, often of a symbolical character,
        prescribed by law, custom, or authority, in the conduct of
        important matters, as in the performance of religious


        duties, the transaction of affairs of state, and the
        celebration of notable events; as, the ceremony of
        crowning a sovereign; the ceremonies observed in
        consecrating a church; marriage and baptismal ceremonies.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              According to all the rites of it, and according to
              all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it [the
              Passover].                            --Numb. ix. 3
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              Bring her up the high altar, that she may
              The sacred ceremonies there partake.  --Spenser.
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              [The heralds] with awful ceremony
              And trumpet's sound, throughout the host proclaim
              A solemn council.                     --Milton.
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     2. Behavior regulated by strict etiquette; a formal method of
        performing acts of civility; forms of civility prescribed
        by custom or authority.
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              Ceremony was but devised at first
              To set a gloss on . . . hollow welcomes . . .
              But where there is true friendship there needs none.
                                                    --Shak.
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              Al ceremonies are in themselves very silly things;
              but yet a man of the world should know them.
                                                    --Chesterfield.
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     3. A ceremonial symbols; an emblem, as a crown, scepter,
        garland, etc. [Obs.]
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              Disrobe the images,
              If you find them decked with ceremonies.
              . . . Let no images
              Be hung with C[ae]sar's trophies.     --Shak.
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     4. A sign or prodigy; a portent. [Obs.]
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              C[ae]sar, I never stood on ceremonies,
              Yet, now they fright me.              --Shak.
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     {Master of ceremonies}, an officer who determines the forms
        to be observed, or superintends their observance, on a
        public occasion.
  
     {Not to stand on ceremony}, not to be ceremonious; to be
        familiar, outspoken, or bold.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ceremony
       n 1: a formal event performed on a special occasion; "a ceremony
            commemorating Pearl Harbor" [syn: {ceremonial}, {ceremonial
            occasion}, {observance}]
       2: any activity that is performed in an especially solemn
          elaborate or formal way; "the ceremony of smelling the
          cork and tasting the wine"; "he makes a ceremony of
          addressing his golf ball"; "he disposed of it without
          ceremony"
       3: the proper or conventional behavior on some solemn occasion;
          "an inaugural ceremony"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  109 Moby Thesaurus words for "ceremony":
     amenities, anniversaries, appearances, baccalaureate service,
     buckram, celebrating, celebration, ceremonial, ceremonies,
     ceremoniousness, civilities, commemoration, commencement,
     convention, conventions, convocation, decorum, dignities, dignity,
     dressing ship, duty, elegancies, empty formality, etiquette,
     exercise, exercises, extrinsicality, fanfare, fanfaronade,
     festivity, flourish of trumpets, form, form of worship, formal,
     formalities, formality, formalization, formula, formulary,
     function, gentilities, graces, graduation, graduation exercises,
     gravity, holiday, holy rite, impersonality, inaugural,
     inauguration, initiation, institution, jubilee, liturgy,
     marking the occasion, memorialization, memory, mode of worship,
     motions, mummery, mystery, niceties, obsequies, observance, office,
     order of worship, ordinance, ovation, performance, pomp, pomposity,
     practice, prescribed form, primness, proprieties, protocol,
     rejoicing, religious ceremony, religious rites, remembrance, revel,
     rigidness, rite, rite de passage, rite of passage, rites, ritual,
     ritual observance, rituality, rituals, sacrament, sacramental,
     salute, salvo, service, solemn observance, solemnity,
     solemnization, starchiness, stiffness, stiltedness, stylization,
     testimonial, testimonial banquet, testimonial dinner, toast,
     tribute, triumph, weight