oblation

See also: Oblation

English

WOTD – 8 December 2007

Etymology

From Middle English oblacioun, from Old French oblacion, from Latin oblātiō (“offering”), from offerō (“I offer, present”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əʊˈbleɪʃən/, /ɒˈbleɪʃən/
• IPA^(key): /oʊˈbleɪʃən/, /ɑːˈbleɪʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

oblation (plural oblations)

1. The offering of worship, thanks etc. to a deity.
   • 1786, William Beckford, Vathek; an Arabian Tale:

     whatever she judged proper for the oblation of the approaching night.

   • 1906 April, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “From the Cabby’s Seat”, in The Four Million, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co, →OCLC, page 165:

     In the fulness of time there was an eruption of the merry-makers to the sidewalk. The uninvited guests enveloped and permeated them, and upon the night air rose joyous cries, congratulations, laughter and unclassified noises born of McGary's oblations to the hymeneal scene.

   • 2017, “Wallowa Lake Monster”, in The Greatest Gift, performed by Sufjan Stevens:

     As she waits for her children in the shade / Demogorgon or demigod the ghost parade / No oblation will bring her back to our place

2. (by extension) A deed or gift offered charitably.

Related terms

• oblate
• oblational
• oblatory
• offer

 

Translations

the offering to a deity

• Avestan: 𐬎𐬯𐬆𐬟𐬭𐬌𐬙𐬌 (usəfriti)
• French: oblation (fr) f
• Hindi: भोग (hi) m (bhog)
• Hungarian: áldozat (hu)
• Italian: oblazione (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Middle Persian: 'wstwpryt
• Persian: نذر (fa) (nazr)
• Spanish: oblación (es) f

deed or gift offered

• Dutch: oblaat (nl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Anagrams

• boltonia, lobation

---

Middle English

Noun

oblation

1. Alternative form of oblacioun