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maundy

noun, often attributive
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maun·​dy
variants: or Maundy \ ˈmȯndē , ˈmän-​ , -​di \
plural -es

Definition of maundy

1 : a ceremony of washing the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday
2a : alms distributed in connection with the maundy ceremony or on Maundy Thursday
b : maundy money With the growth of the numismatic hobby … the silver Maundy coins, especially full sets … have become more highly prized and correspondingly expensive.— Herbert C. Bardes, New York Times, 22 Mar. 1964 maundy coinage
3 obsolete : feast

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History and Etymology for maundy

Middle English maunde, from Old French mandé, from Latin mandatum command, order; from the words spoken by Jesus to his disciples after washing their feet at the Last Supper, “a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another” (John 13:34 Authorized Version)

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Cite this Entry

“Maundy.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maundy. Accessed 14 December 2019.

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