Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In Roman antiquity, the highest form of marriage: so called from the panis farreus, a cake of salted flour eaten in the ceremonial. Confarreation was the only religious form of marriage, and is supposed to have been characteristic of the patricians; it was accomplished by pronouncing certain formulas in the presence of ten witnesses, with solemn sacrifices and prayers. It was until a late date considered requisite for the purity of the higher priesthood, but it fell into general disuse early in the empire. Also
farreation .
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Antiq.) A form of marriage among the Romans, in which an offering of bread was made, in presence of the high priest and at least ten witnesses.
Examples
“A sacrifice of fruits was offered by the pontiffs in the presence of ten witnesses; the contracting parties were seated on the same sheepskin; they tasted a salt-cake of _far_ or rice; and this confarreation, which denoted the ancient food of Italy, served as an emblem of their mystic union of mind and body.”
“Wedding or Bride's cake is used at weddings, because of its origin in confarreation, or a token of the most firm conjection betwixt man and wife, with a cake of wheat or barley; for far (Latin), meaning bread or corn.”
A Manual of Etiquette with Hints on Politeness and Good Breeding
“The causes of the dissolution of matrimony have varied among the Romans; [123] but the most solemn sacrament, the confarreation itself, might always be done away by rites of a contrary tendency.”
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4
“A sacrifice of fruits was offered by the pontiffs in the presence of ten witnesses; the contracting parties were seated on the same sheep-skin; they tasted a salt cake of far or rice; and this confarreation, [116] which denoted the ancient food of Italy, served as an emblem of their mystic union of mind and body.”
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4
“The causes of the dissolution of matrimony have varied among the Romans; but the most solemn sacrament, the confarreation itself, might always be done away by rites of a contrary tendency.”
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4
“First and foremost, you should venture on your confarreation shoes together with your coalescence gown.”
“Ultimately, comprehend steady that you get yourself a twin russian naked brides of comfortable confarreation shoes.”
“A sacrifice of fruits was offered by the pontiffs in the presence of ten witnesses; the contracting parties were seated on the same sheep-skin; they tasted a salt cake of far or rice; and this confarreation, 116 which denoted the ancient food of Italy, served as an emblem of their mystic union of mind and body.”
“The causes of the dissolution of matrimony have varied among the Romans; 123 but the most solemn sacrament, the confarreation itself, might always be done away by rites of a contrary tendency.”
“_confarreation_, which denoted the ancient food of Italy, served as an emblem of their mystic union of mind and body.”
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 4
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘confarreation’.
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Brochettes of Random Palavery
Another of my random palavery lists for words or phrases that haven't yet found a place in one or more of my other lists.
nonexclusivity, adaptationist, paxillin, adduct, unblushingly cribbed, ptomaïne, microsievert, millisievert, too big to jail, tastemaker, tinsmithing, Nimzo-Indian and 1616 more...
Tweets
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hernesheir A Roman sacrament of marriage, of sorts. Nov 27, 2012