service-book

A priest holds the service-book during morning prayers.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A book containing religious services: "service-book" refers to a book that contains the texts, prayers, and instructions for conducting religious services, especially in Christian traditions such as the Anglican or Roman Catholic Church.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The priest opened the service-book to begin the morning prayer. (A book used for leading religious worship.)
  • Every pew in the church had a service-book for the congregation to follow. (A liturgical book for the congregation's use.)

Advanced Usage

• "service-book" in historical context: In medieval times, service-books were often richly illuminated manuscripts used by clergy.

  • The monastery's library contained a rare service-book from the 12th century. (An ancient liturgical manuscript.)

• "to consult the service-book": to refer to the official text for a religious ceremony.

  • The deacon consulted the service-book to ensure the correct prayers were recited. (To check the prescribed liturgy.)

Variants and Related Words

• Service (n): a religious ceremony or act of worship.

  • We attended the evening service at the cathedral. (A religious gathering.)

• Book (n): a written or printed work consisting of pages.

  • She borrowed a book from the library. (A general reading material.)

Synonyms

• Liturgy book: a book containing the forms of public worship.
• Prayer book: a book containing prayers for religious use.
• Missal: a service-book used in the Roman Catholic Church, especially for Mass.

Related Idioms

• No direct idioms: "service-book" is a specific term without common idiomatic usage. However, related phrases include:
  • "to read from the service-book": to perform a reading from the liturgical text.

    • The reader read from the service-book during the lesson. (To recite from the religious book.)