chapter and verse
noun
any specific chapter and verse of the Bible, as used when citing the text.
full, cited authority, as for any quotation, opinion, action, etc.: Give me chapter and verse for the information you've provided so far.
Informal.
- detailed information.
- a set of regulations or rules.
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Origin of chapter and verse
First recorded in 1620–30
Words nearby chapter and verse
chaptalize, chapter, Chapter 11, Chapter 11 bankruptcy, chapter 7, chapter and verse, chapter head, chapter house, chapter ring, chapter stop, chaptrel
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Cultural definitions for chapter and verse
chapter and verse
The means of locating passages in the Bible (see also Bible). Thus Matthew 19:18 means chapter 19, verse 18, of the Book of Matthew.
notes for chapter and verse
In general use, giving “chapter and verse” means giving precise evidence for a proposition.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with chapter and verse
chapter and verse
The precise authority backing up a statement or view; established rules for or detailed information about something. For example, You can't withdraw a card after you've played it; I'll cite you the rules, chapter and verse. The term alludes to the chapter and verse of a quotation from the Bible, long regarded as an ultimate authority. [Early 1600s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.