auto-da-fé Hear it!

auto-da-fé definition

auto-da-fé (ôt′ō də fā′, o̵ut′-)

noun pl. au′tos-da-fé′

  1. the public ceremony in which the Inquisition pronounced judgment and passed sentence on those tried as heretics
  2. the execution by the secular power of the sentence thus passed; esp., the public burning of a heretic

Etymology: Port, lit., act of the faith < auto (< L actus, act) + da, of the + fé ( < L fides, faith)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.