pulpit

[ pool-pit, puhl- ]
See synonyms for pulpit on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a platform or raised structure in a church, from which the sermon is delivered or the service is conducted.

  2. the pulpit,

    • the clerical profession; the ministry.

    • members of the clergy collectively: In attendance were representatives of medicine, the pulpit, and the bar.

  1. (especially in Protestantism and Judaism) the position of pastor or rabbi: He heard of a pulpit in Chicago that was about to be vacated.

  2. the work of a preacher; preaching.

  3. (in small craft)

    • a safety rail rising about 18 to 30 inches (48 to 76 centimeters) from the deck near the bow and extending around it.

    • a similar rail at the stern.

  4. a control booth in a factory, usually elevated and glass-enclosed, from which an operator can observe and direct the manufacturing process.

Origin of pulpit

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Anglo-Norman pulpit, pulputte, French, Middle French pulpite, from Latin pulpitum “platform, scaffold, stage,” and also in Late Latin “pulpit”

Other words from pulpit

  • pul·pit·al, adjective
  • pul·pit·less, adjective

Words Nearby pulpit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pulpit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pulpit

pulpit

/ (ˈpʊlpɪt) /


noun
  1. a raised platform, usually surrounded by a barrier, set up in churches as the appointed place for preaching, leading in prayer, etc

  2. any similar raised structure, such as a lectern

  1. a medium for expressing an opinion, such as a column in a newspaper

  2. the pulpit

    • the preaching of the Christian message

    • the clergy or their message and influence

Origin of pulpit

1
C14: from Latin pulpitum a platform

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012