pulpit en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈpʌlpɪt/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈpʉlpɪt/ (Northern-Ireland, Scotland)
- pŭl′-pĭt
- po͝ol′-pĭt
- (General-American) audio
- /ˈpʊlpɪt/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English pulpit, from Old French pulpite and Latin pulpitum (“platform”). Doublet of pulpitum and polypus. Piecewise doublet of polypod.
Meanings
-
(countable) A raised platform in a church, sometimes enclosed, where the minister or preacher stands when giving the sermon; also, the lectern on such a platform.
Always, whether in the pulpit or on the platform, as in private conversation, there is an absolute simplicity about the man and his words; a simplicity, an earnestness, a complete honesty.
1915, Russell H. Conwell, Robert Shackleton, chapter IV, in Acres of Diamonds, His Life and Achievements:[H]is `Amens' were ejected at the pulpit with the severity of a reprimand.
1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 12:
- (metonymically, uncountable) Activity associated with or usually performed from a church pulpit; preaching, sermons, religious teaching.
- (metonymically, uncountable) The preaching profession, office, or role in general; the pastorate, the priesthood, the ministry.
- (metonymically, uncountable) Preachers collectively; clergy; the priesthood.
-
(countable, metonymically) An individual or particular preaching position or role; a pastorate.
He seems like too timid a man to fill the pulpit at such a large church.
- (broadly) Bully pulpit.
- (countable) Any lectern, podium, dais, or platform for an orator or public speaker.
- (countable) The railing at the bow of a boat, which sometimes extends past the deck; also called bow pulpit. The railing at the stern is sometimes called the stern pulpit or the pushpit.
-
(countable) A bow platform for harpooning.
[Hooper:] Will you just please go to the end of the pulpit! [Brody:] What for? [Hooper:] I need to have something in the foreground to give it some scale. [Brody:] Foreground, my ass!
1975, Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb, Jaws:
-
(UK, dated, slang) A plane's cockpit.
In the slang of the Royal Air Force man, the cockpit of his plane is the ‘pulpit’ or ‘office’, the glass covering over it the ‘greenhouse’.
1941 March 24, Life, page 85:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pulpits | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
wayside pulpit · bully pulpit · pulpiteer · parson-in-the-pulpit · pulpitful · pulpitism · pulpiter · pulpitize · pulpited · Jack-in-the-pulpit · pulpital · pulpitish · pulpitical · pulpitless · pulpitry
Relateds
Synonyms
cockpit (dated British slang for cockpit) · office (dated British slang for cockpit) · tribune (place or occasion for public speaking or for expounding one's views) · platform (place or occasion for public speaking or for expounding one's views) · soapbox (place or occasion for public speaking or for expounding one's views)
Translations (83)
vi tòa giảng (raised platform in church) · tl pulpito (raised platform in church) · fi keulakaide (nautical: railing at the bow) · da prædikestol (raised platform in church) · sk kazateľnica (raised platform in church) · vi bục giảng (raised platform in church) · ja 講壇 (raised platform in church) · it pulpito (raised platform in church) · uk катедра (raised platform in church) · cmn 講臺 /讲台 (raised platform in church) · he בימה (raised platform in church) · ca trona (raised platform in church) · eo podio (raised platform in church) · nl preekstoel (nautical: railing at the bow) · nb prekestol (raised platform in church) · ga puilpid (raised platform in church) · sh проповједао́ница (raised platform in church) · gd cùbaid (raised platform in church) · lv kancele (raised platform in church) · be кафедра (raised platform in church) · de Pult (raised platform in church) · pdt Pult (raised platform in church) · el άμβωνας (raised platform in church) · th ธรรมาสน์ (raised platform in church) · uk казання (activity performed from a church pulpit) · lt sakykla (raised platform in church) · pl kazalnica (raised platform in church) · vi giảng đài (raised platform in church) · yue 講臺 /讲台 (raised platform in church) · fa منبر (raised platform in church) · cs kazatelna (raised platform in church) · io katedro (raised platform in church) · de Predigtstuhl (raised platform in church) · sl prižnica (raised platform in church) · sw mimbari (raised platform in church) · ka კათედრა (raised platform in church) · sv predikstol (raised platform in church) · fr chaire (raised platform in church) · pt púlpito (raised platform in church) · bg подиум (raised base for a speaker) · uk казальниця (raised platform in church) · ar مِنْبَر (raised platform in church) · bg амвон (raised platform in church) · fi puhujakoroke (raised base for a speaker) · cmn 講道壇 /讲道坛 (raised platform in church) · nl kansel (raised platform in church) · uk амвон (raised platform in church) · et kantsel (raised platform in church) · mk амвон (raised platform in church) · br kador-brezeg (raised platform in church) · wa tcheyire di verité (raised platform in church) · fi saarnastuoli (raised platform in church) · eo predikejo (raised platform in church) · wa pirlodje (raised platform in church) · hy ամբիոն (raised platform in church) · pl ambona (raised platform in church) · ca púlpit (raised platform in church) · sw dungu (raised platform in church) · wa pretchoe (raised platform in church) · ota كرسی (raised platform in church) · vi toà giảng (raised platform in church) · nn preikestol (raised platform in church) · eo tribuno (raised platform in church) · nl preekstoel (raised platform in church) · hu szószék (raised platform in church) · fi saarnatuoli (raised platform in church) · uk ка́федра (raised platform in church) · sh propovjedaonica (raised platform in church) · eu pulpitu (raised platform in church) · he במה (raised platform in church) · ga crannóg (raised platform in church) · ru ка́федра (raised platform in church) · ko 설교단 (raised platform in church) · es púlpito (raised platform in church) · de Ambo (raised platform in church) · pdt Kaunsel (raised platform in church) · is predikunarstóll (raised platform in church) · de Kanzel (raised platform in church) · fo prædikastólur (raised platform in church) · cy pulpud (raised platform in church) · rsk казательнїца (raised platform in church) · ro amvon (raised platform in church) · be трыбуна (raised platform in church)