Conventicle

2 definitions found

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

  Conventicle \Con*ven"ti*cle\, n. [L. conventiculum, dim. of
     conventus: cf. F. conventicule. See {Convent}, n.]
     1. A small assembly or gathering; esp., a secret assembly.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              They are commanded to abstain from all conventicles


              of men whatsoever. --Ayliffe.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An assembly for religious worship; esp., such an assembly
        held privately, as in times of persecution, by
        Nonconformists or Dissenters in England, or by Covenanters
        in Scotland; -- often used opprobriously, as if those
        assembled were heretics or schismatics.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The first Christians could never have had recourse
              to nocturnal or clandestine conventicles till driven
              to them by the violence of persecution. --Hammond.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A sort of men who . . . attend its [the curch of
              England's] service in the morning, and go with their
              wives to a conventicle in the afternoon. --Swift.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  conventicle
       n 1: a secret unauthorized meeting for religious worship
       2: a building for religious assembly (especially
          Nonconformists, e.g., Quakers) [syn: {meetinghouse}]