(to) edify
1Edify — Ed i*fy, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Edified}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Edifying}.] [F. [ e]difier, L. aedificare; aedes a building, house, orig., a fireplace (akin to Gr. ? to burn, Skr. idh to kindle, OHG. eit funeral pile, AS. [=a]d, OIr. aed fire) + facere… …
2edify — [ed′i fī΄] vt. edified, edifying [ME edifien < OFr edifier < L aedificare, to build, construct (in LL(Ec) to edify) < aedes, a dwelling, house, temple, orig., hearth, fireplace < IE base * ai dh , to burn (> Gr aithein, to burn, OE …
3Edify — Ed i*fy, v. i. To improve. [R.] Swift. [1913 Webster] …
4edify — I verb brief, coach, direct, discipline, docere, educate, enlarge the mind, enlighten, guide, improve, inform, instruct, prime, school, show, strengthen, teach, train, tutor, upbuild, uplift II index disabuse, educate, enlighten …
5edify — mid 14c., to build, construct, also, in figurative use, to build up morally or in faith, from O.Fr. edefiier build, install, teach, instruct (morally), from L. aedificare to build, construct, in Late Latin improve spiritually, instruct (see… …
6edify — ► VERB (edifies, edified) ▪ instruct or improve morally or intellectually. DERIVATIVES edification noun edifying adjective. ORIGIN Latin aedificare build …
7edify — UK [ˈedɪfaɪ] / US [ˈedəˌfaɪ] verb [transitive] Word forms edify : present tense I/you/we/they edify he/she/it edifies present participle edifying past tense edified past participle edified formal to teach someone something that increases their… …
8edify — edifier, n. edifyingly, adv. /ed euh fuy/, v.t., edified, edifying. to instruct or benefit, esp. morally or spiritually; uplift: religious paintings that edify the viewer. [1300 50; ME edifien < AF, OF edifier < L aedificare to build, equiv. to… …
9edify — verb /ˈɛdɪfaɪ/ a) To build, construct. That Castle was most goodly edifyde, / And plaste for pleasure nigh that forrest syde [...]. b) To instruct or improve morally or intellectually. That the …
10edify — [14] As its close relative edifice [14] suggests, edify has to do literally with ‘building’. And in fact its underlying etymological sense is ‘building a hearth’. That was the original sense of Latin aedis. Gradually, though, it was extended, in… …