Definition of POPE

pope

Meanings

Plural: popes

Noun

  • the head of the Roman Catholic Church
  • English poet and satirist (1688-1744)
  • An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
  • Any similarly absolute and 'infallible' authority.
  • An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
  • Any similar head of a religion.
  • An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
  • A theocrat, a priest-king, including (at first especially) over the imaginary land of Prester John or (now) in figurative and alliterative uses.
  • An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
  • An effigy of the pope traditionally burnt in Britain on Guy Fawkes' Day and (occasionally) at other times.
  • An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
  • Pope Day, the present Guy Fawkes Day.
  • An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of the Vatican city state.
  • An honorary title of the Coptic bishop of Alexandria as father and head of his church.
  • An honorary title of the Orthodox bishop of Alexandria as father and head of his autocephalous church.
  • Any bishop of the early Christian church.
  • The ruffe, a small Eurasian freshwater fish (Gymnocephalus cernua); others of its genus.
  • The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica).
  • The painted bunting (Passerina ciris).
  • The red-cowled cardinal (Paroaria dominicana).
  • Any mulled wine (traditionally including tokay) considered similar and superior to bishop.
  • Alternative form of pop, a Russian Orthodox priest.
  • The whippoorwill (Antrostomus vociferus, syn. Caprimulgus vociferus).
  • The nighthawk (Chordeiles minor).

Verb

  • To act as or like a pope.
  • To convert to Roman Catholicism.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English pope, popa, from Old English pāpa, from Vulgar Latin papa (title for priests and bishops, esp. and by 8th c. only the bishop of Rome), from early Byzantine Greek παπᾶς (papâs, title for priests and bishops, especially by 3rd c. the bishop of Alexandria), from late Ancient Greek πάπας (pápas, title for priests and bishops, in the sense of spiritual father), from πάππας (páppas, “papa, daddy”).

Synonyms

Alexander Pope, Bishop of Alexandria, Bishop of Rome, Catholic Pope, Guy Fawkes Day, Holy Father, Orthodox Bishop of Alexandria, Patriarch of Alexandria, Patriarch of Rome, pontiff, Roman Catholic Pope, their respective entries, Vicar of Christ

Scrabble Score: 8

pope is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
pope is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
pope is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

pope is a valid Words With Friends word