Hypostases

3 definitions found

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

  Hypostasis \Hy*pos"ta*sis\, n.; pl. {Hypostases}. [L., fr. Gr. ?
     subsistence, substance, fr. ? to stand under; ? under + ? to
     stand, middle voice of ? to cause to stand. See {Hypo-}, and
     {Stand}.]
     1. That which forms the basis of anything; underlying
        principle; a concept or mental entity conceived or treated


        as an existing being or thing.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Theol.) Substance; subsistence; essence; person;
        personality; -- used by the early theologians to denote
        any one of the three subdivisions of the Godhead, the
        Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The Council of Alexandria (a. d. 362) defined
           hypostasis as synonymous with person. --Schaff-Herzog.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Principle; an element; -- used by the alchemists in
        speaking of salt, sulphur, and mercury, which they
        considered as the three principles of all material bodies.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Med.) That which is deposited at the bottom of a fluid;
        sediment.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hypostasis
       n 1: the suppression of a gene by the effect of an unrelated gene
            [syn: {epistasis}]
       2: the accumulation of blood in an organ
       3: any of the three persons of the Godhead constituting the
          Trinity especially the person of Christ in which divine
          and human natures are united
       4: (metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality
       [also: {hypostases} (pl)]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hypostases
       See {hypostasis}