piacular

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
12
Words With Friends
16
Letters
8

Definition of piacular

2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

adj

  1. Requiring atonement or reparation: wicked, sinful, bad.
    “And while we think it ſo piaculous, to go beyond the Ancients; we muſt neceſſarily come ſhort of genuine Antiquity, Truth; unleſs we ſuppoſe them to have reach'd perfection of Knowlege in ſpight of their own acknowledgments of Ignorance.”
See all 2 definitions

adj

  1. Requiring atonement or reparation: wicked, sinful, bad.
    “And while we think it ſo piaculous, to go beyond the Ancients; we muſt neceſſarily come ſhort of genuine Antiquity, Truth; unleſs we ſuppoſe them to have reach'd perfection of Knowlege in ſpight of their own acknowledgments of Ignorance.”
  2. Expiatory; serving to atone.
    “The piacular sacrifice arose from the need of atoning for bloodshed within the kinship group ; properly speaking, the culprit himself should suffer : should he be unknown or beyond the reach of vengeance, a substitute had to be found[…]”
    “The distinction between clean and unclean beasts and birds was made, a distinction which has its principal significance in reference to a piacular offering. Not any and everything may be offered as an atonement, but only that which is [clean].”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

Early 17th century, from French piaculaire, from Latin piacularis, derived from piaculum, from piō (“to appease, purify, expiate”) +-culum (instrumental suffix).

Anagrams of piacular

1 play · some not in Scrabble

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