hebdomadal, a. (n.)
(hɛbˈdɒmədəl)
[ad. L. hebdomadāl-is, f. hebdomad-: see prec. and -al1.]
† 1. Consisting of or lasting seven days. Obs.
| 1613 Selden on Drayton's Poly-olb. xi. (T.), They had their original of later time than this hebdomadal account. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iv. xii. 212 Hebdomadall periods or weeks. 1651 Biggs New Disp. Pref. 11 When he [God] was about his hebdomadal work of the Hexameron Fabrick. |
b. Changing every week; fickle, changeable.
| 1796 Burke Regic. Peace iv. Wks. IX. 5 Listening to variable, hebdomadal politicians, who run away from their opinions without giving us a month's warning. |
2. Meeting, taking place, or appearing once a week; weekly.
Hebdomadal Council: the representative board of the University of Oxford, which meets weekly, and takes the initiative in all matters to be brought before the University; it has taken the place of the earlier Hebdomadal Meeting of Heads of Houses.
| 1711 Steele Spect. No. 17 ¶2 Several of these Hebdomadal Societies. 1818 Scott Rob Roy iv, His hebdomadal visitants were often divided in their opinion. 1846 M{supc}Culloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) II. 333 In the reign of Elizabeth..the regent masters were deprived of the initiative in legislative measures in the House of Convocation in Oxford, which was transferred to the hebdomadal meeting of heads of houses. 1849 Sir J. Stephen Eccl. Biog. (1850) II. 403 The whole tribe of party writers, diurnal and hebdomadal. 1854 [see council 11 b]. 1880 Fowler Locke ii. 16 A letter to the Hebdomadal Board from Lord Clarendon, then Chancellor of the University. |
B. n. (ellipt.) A periodical appearing once a week, a ‘weekly’. (pedantic or humorous.)
| 1835 Blackw. Mag. XXXVIII. 637 Accounts..have occasionally appeared in the journals and hebdomadals. 1838 B. Corney Controversy 4 Let its appearance be proclaimed in the diurnals, in the hebdomadals, etc. 1885 Advance (Chicago) 18 June, A fit contemporary of our Eastern hebdomadals. |