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chapter and verse

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noun
  1. any specific chapter and verse of the Bible, as used when citing the text.
  2. full, cited authority, as for any quotation, opinion, action, etc.: Give me chapter and verse for the information you've provided so far.
  3. Informal.
    1. detailed information.
    2. a set of regulations or rules.
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Origin of chapter and verse

First recorded in 1620–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
chapter and verse in Culture

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.

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Note

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]

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.