[a. Fr. adoration, ad. L. adōrātiōn-em, n. of action f. adōrā-re; see ADORE.]
1. The act of worshipping, or paying divine honors; worship, reverence.
1543. Joye, Expos. Daniel, iii. (R.). Muche more execrable is it to serue or worship them [images] with any reuerent behauiour ether by adoracion, prostracion, knelyng, or kissing.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 351. With solemn adoration down they cast Thir Crowns inwove with Amarant and Gold.
1774. Bryant, Mythol., II. 174. The Greeks in times of old … paid their adoration to rude unwrought stones.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., II. IV. vii. (1864), 344. The Church may draw fine and aërial distinctions between images as objects of reverence and as objects of adoration.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 25, 187. That deep and calm beauty which suggests the thought of adoration to the human mind.
1866. Liddon, Bampt. Lect., vii. (1875), 362. Adoration is no mere prostration of the body, it is the prostration of the soul.
2. fig. The exhibition of profound regard and love.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. v. 274. Ol. How does he loue me? Vio. With adorations.
1859. Geo. Eliot, Ad. Bede, 29. That adoration which a young man gives to a woman whom he feels to be greater and better than himself.
3. techn. A method of electing a pope.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 146. Two third parts of their voyces … are requisite to him, that either by adoration or in Scrutinie shall winne that glorie.
1670. G. H., trans. Hist. Cardinals, III. ii. 286. The third way of creating Popes, is by Adoration, which is perform’d in this manner; That Cardinal, who … desires to favour any other Cardinal … puts himself before him in the Chappel, and makes him a low Reverence; and when it falls out that two thirds of the Cardinals do the same, the Pope is then understood to be created.
1860. Froude, Hist. Eng., V. 296. There was a moment when the feeling was so far in his [Pole’s] favour that he might have been chosen on the spot by adoration.
† 4. Kissing the hand as a sign of honor. Obs.
(Prob. never so used, but given in the following passage as the ‘right sense’ of the word adore, as if formed from Lat. ad to + os, oris, the mouth.)
1614. Selden, Titles of Hon., 41. Adoration, and Salutation with a kisse of the hand, is all one in the right sense of the word.
