Edify

4 definitions found

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

  Edify \Ed"i*fy\, v. i.
     To improve. [R.] --Swift.
     [1913 Webster]

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



  Edify \Ed"i*fy\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Edified}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Edifying}.] [F. ['e]difier, L. aedificare; aedes a building,
     house, orig., a fireplace (akin to Gr. ? to burn, Skr. idh to
     kindle, OHG. eit funeral pile, AS. [=a]d, OIr. aed fire) +
     facere to make. See {Fact}, {-fy}.]
     1. To build; to construct. [Archaic]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              There was a holy chapel edified.      --Spenser.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To instruct and improve, especially in moral and religious
        knowledge; to teach.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              It does not appear probable that our dispute [about
              miracles] would either edify or enlighten the
              public.                               --Gibbon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To teach or persuade. [Obs.] --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  edify
       v : make understand; "Can you enlighten me--I don't understand
           this proposal" [syn: {enlighten}]
       [also: {edified}]

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

  61 Moby Thesaurus words for "edify":
     acculturate, advance, ameliorate, amend, better, boost,
     bring forward, broaden the mind, catechize, civilize, demonstrate,
     direct, educate, elevate, elucidate, emend, enhance, enlighten,
     enrich, fatten, favor, forward, foster, give instruction,
     give lessons in, go straight, ground, guide, illume, illumine,
     improve, improve upon, inform, instruct, irradiate, lard, lift,
     make an improvement, meliorate, mend, nurture, open the eyes,
     promote, raise, reeducate, refine upon, reform, school, set right,
     sharpen the wits, show, show how, socialize, straighten out, teach,
     teach a lesson, teach the rudiments, transfigure, transform,
     upgrade, uplift