Epistle

3 definitions found

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

  Epistle \E*pis"tle\, n. [OE. epistle, epistel, AS. epistol,
     pistol, L. epistola, fr. Gr. ? anything sent by a messenger,
     message, letter, fr. ? to send to, tell by letter or message;
     'epi` upon, to + ? to dispatch, send; cf. OF. epistle,
     epistre, F. ['e]p[^i]tre. See {Stall}.]
     1. A writing directed or sent to a person or persons; a


        written communication; a letter; -- applied usually to
        formal, didactic, or elegant letters.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A madman's epistles are no gospels.   --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Eccl.) One of the letters in the New Testament which were
        addressed to their Christian brethren by Apostles.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Epistle side}, the right side of an altar or church to a
        person looking from the nave toward the chancel.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              One sees the pulpit on the epistle side. --R.
                                                    Browning.
        [1913 Webster]

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

  Epistle \E*pis"tle\, v. t.
     To write; to communicate in a letter or by writing. [Obs.]
     --Milton.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  epistle
       n : especially a long, formal letter