oblation

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act of offering something, such as worship or thanks, to a deity.
2. n. The act of offering the bread and wine of the Eucharist.
3. n. Something offered, especially the bread and wine of the Eucharist.
4. n. A charitable offering or gift.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of offering. Specifically, ecclesiastical: The donation by the laity of bread and wine for the eucharist, and of other gifts or of contributions in money for the maintenance of divine worship and for the support of the clergy and the poor. In the early church the bread and wine were given by members of the congregation to the deacon before the liturgy, and offered by the priest on the altar; later this custom fell into disuse, and the other gifts were presented at or just before the offertory. The Greek church has a special preparation of the elements in the office of prothesis (see prothesis), before the liturgy.
2. n. The whole office of holy communion; the eucharist.
3. n. In Roman law (oblatio), a mode of extinguishment for debt by the tender of the precise amount due. It had to be followed, in Roman and French law, in order to become an effectual tender, by depositio, or consignation into the hand of a public officer. Holland.
4. n. Anything offered or presented; an offering; a gift.
5. n. Specifically Anything offered or presented in worship; an offering or sacrifice; especially, ecclesiastical, a eucharistic offering or donation; usually in the plural, the eucharistic elements or other offerings at the eucharist.
6. n. In canon law, anything offered to God and the church, whether movables or immovables.

Wiktionary

1. n. The offering of worship, thanks etc. to a deity.
2. n. A deed or gift offered charitably.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of offering, or of making an offering.
2. n. Anything offered or presented in worship or sacred service; an offering; a sacrifice.
3. n. A gift or contribution made to a church, as for the expenses of the eucharist, or for the support of the clergy and the poor.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the act of contributing to the funds of a church or charity
2. n. the act of offering the bread and wine of the Eucharist