Abbe

3 definitions found

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

  Abb'e \Ab"b['e]`\ ([.a]b"b[asl]`), n. [F. abb['e]. See {Abbot}.]
     The French word answering to the English abbot, the head of
     an abbey; but commonly a title of respect given in France to
     every one vested with the ecclesiastical habit or dress.
     [1913 Webster]
  


     Note: After the 16th century, the name was given, in social
           parlance, to candidates for some priory or abbey in the
           gift of the crown. Many of these aspirants became well
           known in literary and fashionable life. By further
           extension, the name came to be applied to unbeneficed
           secular ecclesiastics generally. --Littr['e].
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  abbe
       n : a French abbot

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

  29 Moby Thesaurus words for "abbe":
     DD, Doctor of Divinity, Holy Joe, chaplain, churchman, clergyman,
     cleric, clerical, clerk, curate, cure, divine, ecclesiastic,
     man of God, military chaplain, minister, padre, parson, pastor,
     rector, reverend, servant of God, shepherd, sky pilot,
     supply clergy, supply minister, the Reverend, the very Reverend,
     tonsured cleric