holy water
Forms: see holy and water; also 5–6 hally, holli(e.
[OE. háliᵹwæter, a true compound, whence in ME. halywater; subseq. analysed as two words.]
1. Water dedicated to holy uses and used for ritual purification of persons and things; water blessed by a priest and used in various rites and devotional acts.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. iv. (1890) 396 Sumne dæl þæs haliᵹ⁓wætres. a 1225 Ancr. R. 324 Confiteor, & haliwater, & beoden, & holie þouhtes. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 452 Waschen awey wiþ preieris of a Pater-noster, wiþ hali watir, wiþ pardon. 1382 ― Num. v. 17 He [the preest] shal take the holy watre in a britil vessel. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 223/1 Halywater, aqua benedicta. 1570 B. Googe Pop. Kingd. iv. 47 b, Then followeth good sir Blase, who doth a waxen Candell giue, And holy water to his men. 1602 W. Fulbecke Pandectes 77 The Pope's holiwater. a 1714 Burnet Hist. Ref. an. 1536 (R.) Jests about confession, praying to saints, holy-water, and the other ceremonies of the church. 1885 Catholic Dict. s.v., Before the High Mass on Sundays the celebrant sprinkles the people with holy water. |
b. Prov. as the devil loves holy water,
i.e. not at all, or rather with violent dislike.
| 1570–6, 1738 [see devil n. 22 h]. ? c 1600 Distracted Emp. v. i. in Bullen O. Pl. III. 242 Faythe I love thee. Yes, as the devyll does freirs holye water. |
† c. fig. in
court holy water, gracious but empty promises,
q.v. 2. attrib. and
Comb., as
holy water basin,
holy water bearer,
holy water brush,
holy water can,
holy water casting,
holy water fat (
fat n.1),
holy water font,
holy water fount,
holy water pot,
holy water stoup;
† holy-water clerk, one who carried the vessel containing holy water: often spoken of with contempt as holding a mean office;
holy-water sprinkle,
sprinkler, (
a) a kind of brush used to sprinkle holy water, an aspergillum; (
b) a kind of club armed on all sides with spikes; (
c) a fox's ‘brush’;
† holy-water stick = holy-water sprinkler (a);
† holy-water stock, a holy-water stoup or basin;
† holy-water stone, a stone vessel for holding holy-water;
† holy-water strinkle, (
a)
= holy-water sprinkle (a); (
b) the plant Horsetail.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 223/1 *Halywater berere, aquabajulus. |
| a 1678 Marvell Appleton Ho. 252 Another bolder, stands at push, With their old *holy-water brush. |
| 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1861) VII. i. 47 *Holy-water-casting, procession-gadding, mattins-mumbling. |
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 11592 An *holywatyr clerk..þat lytyl haþ lerned yn hys lyue, He ys ordeyned a prest to shryve. 1528 Cowley in State Papers II. 141 A symple Irish preste, a vagabounde, without lernyng, maners, or good qualitye, not worthy to bee a hally-water clerc. 1660 Howell Eng. Prov. 10 The Parish-Priest forgetteth that ever he hath been Holy-water Clark. |
| 1464 in Ripon Ch. Acts (Surtees) 222 Simul cum le *halywater fatt. 1566 in Eng. Ch. Furniture (Peacock) 37 An holiwater fat of Stone. |
| 1513 in Glasscock Rec. St. Michael's. Bp. Stortford (1882) 33 Pd for mendyng of the *halywater potte iij d. |
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 223/1 *Haly water spryngelle..aspersorium. 1614 T. Adams Devil's Banquet 17 The Priest must dash the graue with a holy-water-sprinkle. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Holy-Water sprinkle, a Term us'd by Hunters for the Tail of a Fox. a 1887 Jefferies Field & Hedgerow (1889) 296 The spiked balls of a holywater sprinkle, such as once used in the wars. |
| 1816 Scott Antiq. xxv, Another churchman in his vestments bore a *holy-water sprinkler. 1846 Fairholt Costume Eng. 288 The Morning-star, a ball of wood, encircled by bands of iron in which spikes are inserted..was sometimes termed jocularly a ‘holy-water sprinkler’, the way in which it scattered blood..suggesting a similarity to the sprinkling of holy water. |
| 1419 Will of Maydeston (Somerset Ho.), Vno *holiwaterstykke argent. 1552 Huloet, Holy water sticke or sprincle, aspergillus. |
| 1530 Palsgr. 228/2 *Halywaterstocke, benoistier. 1566 in Eng. Ch. Furniture (Peacock) 34 One hallywater stock of stone broken in peces. |
| Ibid. 52 One *hollie water stone—broken in peces and defacid. |
| 1419 Will of Maydeston (Somerset Ho.), Vno vase argent vocat *holiwaterstop. 1483 Act 1 Rich. III, c. 12 §2 No Merchant Stranger..shall bring into this Realm..Candlesticks, Holy-water Stopps. 1872 O. Shipley Gloss. Eccl. Terms, Holy Water Stoup, the stone, stoup, stock, vat..or other receptacle for holy water, placed near the entrance of churches. |
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 223/1 *Haly water..strencle..aspersorium. 1538 Turner Libellus B ij a, Hippvris,..Hally water stryncle. |
Hence
holy-watered a., sprinkled with holy water (in
quot. fig.).
| 1608 Tourneur Rev. Trag. iv. iv. Wks. 1878 II. 124 Farewell, once dryed, now holy-watred Meade! |