noun
bishop
BISH-up/ˈbɪʃəp/
A senior Christian cleric who oversees churches in a district.
The bishop wears ceremonial robes and holds a curved staff.
Etymology
“Over” and “watcher” form the idea of an overseer or guardian. A title used for officials became a church title for someone supervising a Christian community.
In context
We recognize a bishop by his miter, his crowsier, his ring, and his Bible. Let's put everything together. Bishop is a special kind of priest who leads a group of churches
More examples
- The bishop visits each church in the diocese every year.
- Three bishops attended the meeting to discuss training for new clergy.
- She became a bishop after twenty years as a parish priest.
Forms
bishop · bishops
bishopric noun — a bishop’s office or district
episcopal adjective — relating to bishops or their authority