Dominican

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. adj. Of or relating to the Dominican Republic or its people or culture.
2. n. A native or inhabitant of the Dominican Republic.
3. n. A person of Dominican ancestry.
4. n. Roman Catholic Church A member of an order of preaching friars established in 1216 by Saint Dominic.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Of or pertaining to St. Dominic or the Dominicans.
2. Noting certain South American tanagers of the genus Paroaria, as P. cucullata, of dark-gray color with a pointed scarlet crest.
3. n. One of an order of mendicant friars instituted by the Spaniard Domingo de Guzman in Languedoc in France, and confirmed by the pope in 1216. The official name of the order is Fratres Prædicatores (rendered in English Friars Preachers, Preaching Brethren or Friars, Predicants, or Order of Preachers), preaching and instruction being the chief objects of its foundation. It was established by Dominic himself also in Italy and Spain, and spread rapidly in other countries. In England its members were called Black Friars, from their black cloaks, and in France Jacobins, from the church and hospital of St. Jacques (Jacobus), in which they were first established in Paris. Their rules, based upon those of St. Augustine, enjoin poverty, chastity, fasting, and silence; but the last two may be dispensed with when they would interfere with active duties. The officers of the order are all elective. The highest, holding his place six years, is termed general; provincial and conventual priors have charge respectively of provinces and convents. The Dominicans and Franciscans, originating about the same time and long vehement rivals, were the leading orders of the Roman Church until the rise of the Jesuits in the sixteenth century. They still exist in many countries, but with reduced influence. The dress of the order is a black mantle and a white habit and scapular. An order of Dominican nuns was also founded by Dominic.

Wiktionary

1. n. A person from the Commonwealth of Dominica or of its descent.
2. n. A person from the Dominican Republic or of its descent.
3. n. A member of the religious order founded by St. Dominic.
4. adj. Of, from, or pertaining to Dominica, or its people.
5. adj. Of, from, or pertaining to the Dominican Republic, or its people.
6. adj. Of or belonging to the Dominican religious order.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. Of or pertaining to St. Dominic (Dominic de Guzman), or to the religious communities named from him.
2. n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of an order of mendicant monks founded by Dominic de Guzman, in 1215. A province of the order was established in England in 1221. The first foundation in the United States was made in 1807. The Master of the Sacred Palace at Rome is always a Dominican friar. The Dominicans are called also preaching friars, friars preachers, black friars (from their black cloak), brothers of St. Mary, and in France, Jacobins.

WordNet 3.0

1. adj. of or relating to Saint Dominic or the Dominican order
2. n. a Roman Catholic friar wearing the black mantle of the Dominican order
3. n. a native or inhabitant of the Dominican Republic
4. adj. of or relating to or characteristic of the Dominican Republic or its people