Pontiff

3 definitions found

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

  Pontiff \Pon"tiff\, n. [F. pontife, L. pontifex, -ficis; pons,
     pontis, a bridge (perhaps originally, a way, path) + facere
     to make. Cf. {Pontoon}.]
     A high priest. Especially:
     (a) One of the sacred college, in ancient Rome, which had the
         supreme jurisdiction over all matters of religion, at the


         head of which was the Pontifex Maximus. --Dr. W. Smith.
     (b) (Jewish Antiq.) The chief priest.
     (c) (R. C. Ch.) The pope.
         [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Pontiff
       n : the head of the Roman Catholic Church [syn: {Pope}, {Catholic
           Pope}, {Roman Catholic Pope}, {Holy Father}, {Vicar of
           Christ}, {Bishop of Rome}]

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

  36 Moby Thesaurus words for "pontiff":
     Grand Penitentiary, Holy Father, abuna, antipope, archbishop,
     archdeacon, archpriest, bishop, bishop coadjutor, canon, cardinal,
     cardinal bishop, cardinal deacon, cardinal priest, chaplain,
     coadjutor, curate, dean, diocesan, ecclesiarch, exarch, hierarch,
     high priest, metropolitan, papa, patriarch, penitentiary, pope,
     prebendary, prelate, primate, rector, rural dean, subdean,
     suffragan, vicar