'Canon of the Mass' definitions:

Definition of 'Canon of the Mass'

From: GCIDE
  • Mass \Mass\ (m[.a]s), n. [OE. masse, messe, AS. maesse. LL. missa, from L. mittere, missum, to send, dismiss: cf. F. messe. In the ancient churches, the public services at which the catechumens were permitted to be present were called missa catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel. Then they were dismissed with these words : "Ite, missa est" [sc. ecclesia], the congregation is dismissed. After that the sacrifice proper began. At its close the same words were said to those who remained. So the word gave the name of Mass to the sacrifice in the Catholic Church. See Missile, and cf. Christmas, Lammas, Mess a dish, Missal.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. (R. C. Ch.) The sacrifice in the sacrament of the Eucharist, or the consecration and oblation of the host. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (Mus.) The portions of the Mass usually set to music, considered as a musical composition; -- namely, the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Credo, the Sanctus, and the Agnus Dei, besides sometimes an Offertory and the Benedictus. [1913 Webster]
  • Canon of the Mass. See Canon.
  • High Mass, Mass with incense, music, the assistance of a deacon, subdeacon, etc.
  • Low Mass, Mass which is said by the priest throughout, without music.
  • Mass bell, the sanctus bell. See Sanctus.
  • Mass book, the missal or Roman Catholic service book. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Canon of the Mass'

From: GCIDE
  • canon \can"on\ (k[a^]n"[u^]n), n. [OE. canon, canoun, AS. canon rule (cf. F. canon, LL. canon, and, for sense 7, F. chanoine, LL. canonicus), fr. L. canon a measuring line, rule, model, fr. Gr. kanw`n rule, rod, fr. ka`nh, ka`nnh, reed. See Cane, and cf. Canonical.]
  • 1. A law or rule. [1913 Webster]
  • Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (Eccl.) A law, or rule of doctrine or discipline, enacted by a council and confirmed by the pope or the sovereign; a decision, regulation, code, or constitution made by ecclesiastical authority. [1913 Webster]
  • Various canons which were made in councils held in the second centry. --Hook. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. The collection of books received as genuine Holy Scriptures, called the sacred canon, or general rule of moral and religious duty, given by inspiration; the Bible; also, any one of the canonical Scriptures. See {Canonical books}, under Canonical, a. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. A member of a cathedral chapter; a person who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. (Mus.) A musical composition in which the voices begin one after another, at regular intervals, successively taking up the same subject. It either winds up with a coda (tailpiece), or, as each voice finishes, commences anew, thus forming a perpetual fugue or round. It is the strictest form of imitation. See Imitation. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. (Print.) The largest size of type having a specific name; -- so called from having been used for printing the canons of the church. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. The part of a bell by which it is suspended; -- called also ear and shank.
  • Note: [See Illust. of Bell.] --Knight. [1913 Webster]
  • 10. (Billiards) See Carom. [1913 Webster]
  • Apostolical canons. See under Apostolical.
  • Augustinian canons, Black canons. See under Augustinian.
  • Canon capitular, Canon residentiary, a resident member of a cathedral chapter (during a part or the whole of the year).
  • Canon law. See under Law.
  • Canon of the Mass (R. C. Ch.), that part of the mass, following the Sanctus, which never changes.
  • Honorary canon, a canon[6] who neither lived in a monastery, nor kept the canonical hours.
  • Minor canon (Ch. of Eng.), one who has been admitted to a chapter, but has not yet received a prebend.
  • Regular canon (R. C. Ch.), one who lived in a conventual community and followed the rule of St. Austin; a Black canon.
  • Secular canon (R. C. Ch.), one who did not live in a monastery, but kept the hours. [1913 Webster]