benediction

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A blessing.
2. n. An invocation of divine blessing, usually at the end of a church service.
3. n. Roman Catholic Church A short service consisting of prayers, the singing of a Eucharistic hymn, and the blessing of the congregation with the host.
4. n. An expression of good wishes.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of speaking well to or of; blessing.
2. n. An invocation of divine blessing, either by a private individual or a church official; specifically, in the Christian church generally, the form of blessing pronounced by the person officiating, at the close of divine service and on several other occasions, as marriages, the visitation of the sick, etc.
3. n. When the benediction is pronounced officially by a priest or clergyman, he usually stands with hands uplifted, and the congregation receive it with bowed heads. Illustrations of ancient benedictions are afforded by Gen. xxiv. 60 (a nuptial blessing); Gen. xxvii. 27–29 (a death-bed blessing); Num. vi. 24–27 (a priestly blessing). The apostolic benediction is that proceeding from the pope, and is either given personally, as at Rome, or by delegation in other parts of the world. See blessing.
4. n. The rite of instituting an abbot or an abbess, and of receiving the profession of a nun or of a religious knight.
5. n. An additional ceremony performed by a priest after the regular celebration of matrimony: called the nuptial benediction.
6. n. The ceremony by which things are set aside for sacred uses, as a church or vestments, bells, etc., or things for ordinary use are hallowed, as houses, etc.
7. n. The advantage conferred by blessing or the invocation of blessings.

Wiktionary

1. n. A short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually after a church worship service.
2. n. The form of instituting an abbot, analogous to the consecration of a bishop.
3. n. A Roman Catholic rite by which bells, banners, candles, etc., are blessed with holy water and formally dedicated to God.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of blessing.
2. n. A blessing; an expression of blessing, prayer, or kind wishes in favor of any person or thing; a solemn or affectionate invocation of happiness.
3. n. The short prayer which closes public worship.
4. n. (Eccl.) The form of instituting an abbot, answering to the consecration of a bishop.
5. n. (R. C. Ch.) A solemn rite by which bells, banners, candles, etc., are blessed with holy water, and formally dedicated to God.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the act of praying for divine protection
2. n. a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection