misericord
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misericord
- /mɪˈzɛɹɪkɔːd/ UK
- /mɪˈzɛɹɪkɔɹd/ US
Rhymes with -ɛɹɪkɔː(ɹ)d
Where it comes from
From 1200–1250, from Middle English misericorde (“an act of clemency”) from Old French, from Latin misericordia (“pity”). Doublet of misericordia.
noun misericords · misericorde · miséricorde
- Relaxation of monastic rules.
- The room in a monastery for monks granted such relaxation.
- A ledge, sometimes ornately carved, attached to a folding church seat to provide support for a person standing for long periods; a subsellium. 1969, M. D. Anderson, The Iconography of British Misericords, G. L. Remnant, A Catalogue of Misericords in Great Britain, page xxiii, Misericords are a very humble form of medieval art and it is unlikely that the most distinguished carvers of any period were employed in making them, except, perhaps,
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A medieval dagger, used for the mercy stroke to a wounded foe.
The word misericordia implies an act of mercy but despite its amiable name, it refers to coercing or forcing a spirit to pass through the Gates of Death. In the age of medieval chivalry, knights carried a dagger called the misericorde that was used to strike the coup de grâce upon mortally wounded f
Similar: subsellium
Translations
Every language
noun ledge
| Español | misericordia |
|---|---|
| Português | misericórdia |
| Français | miséricorde |
| Deutsch | Misericordie |
| Русский | мизерико́рдия mizerikórdija, мизерико́рд mizerikórd |
noun medieval dagger
| Español | misericordia |
|---|---|
| Português | misericórdia |
| Français | miséricorde |
| Deutsch | Misericordia |
| Italiano | misericordia |
| Русский | мизерико́рдия mizerikórdija, мизерико́рд mizerikórd |
Talk about this word "misericord." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/misericord. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. misericord. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/misericord "misericord." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/misericord.Cite this
@misc{misericord_2026,
title = {misericord},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/misericord},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
