Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A stipend historically drawn by a beneficed canon of a cathedral or collegiate church.
  • noun The property or tithe providing the endowment for such a stipend.
  • noun A prebendary.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In canon law, a stated income derived from some fixed source; hence, especially, a stipend allotted from the revenues of a cathedral or collegiate church for the performance of certain duties by a person hence called a prebendary.
  • noun A prebendary.
  • noun A prebendaryship.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A payment or stipend; esp., the stipend or maintenance granted to a prebendary out of the estate of a cathedral or collegiate church with which he is connected. See note under benefice.
  • noun obsolete A prebendary.
  • noun one having jurisdiction annexed to it.
  • noun one without jurisdiction.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A stipend paid to a canon of a cathedral.
  • noun obsolete The property or other source of this endowment.
  • noun Political patronage employment.
  • noun obsolete A prebendary.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the stipend assigned by a cathedral to a canon

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English prebende, from Old French, from Medieval Latin praebenda, from Late Latin, state allowance, from Latin, neuter pl. gerundive of praebēre, to grant, from praehibēre : prae-, pre- + habēre, to hold; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin praebendus, verbal adjective of praebere > Late Latin praebenda

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Examples

  • This community life becoming more and more rare after the end of the ninth century, each canon received his own share of the mensal revenues – his "prebend".

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913

  • "prebend" does not yet appear, neither do the distinctive names of the stalls.

    Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Saint Paul An Account of the Old and New Buildings with a Short Historical Sketch Arthur Dimock

  • Within each colonial prebend tribal jealousies and differences were exploited by colonial masters to maximize political power and economic advantage.

    Matthew Bergman: The Obama Manifesto 2009

  • In Maronia pia, or Maronia felix, I know not whether, nor how long since, nor in what cathedral church, a fat prebend fell void.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • In this manner the question of the prebend was discussed between them on the evening before he started for London.

    Framley Parsonage 2004

  • Such an occasion had now come, and he had desired his sister to give the new Lord Petty Bag no rest till he should have promised to use all his influence in getting the vacant prebend for Mark Robarts.

    Framley Parsonage 2004

  • On the day after his return he received proper authentic tidings of his presentation to the prebend.

    Framley Parsonage 2004

  • This very journey of his up to London would be most imprudent, if it should become necessary for him to give up all hope of holding the prebend.

    Framley Parsonage 2004

  • ‘And as for the prebend, after what has passed, of course you must accept it.’

    Framley Parsonage 2004

  • Luckily for him, this state of suspense was not long, for within half an hour of his leaving the breakfast-table, the footman knocked at his door — that footman with whom, at the beginning of his difficulties, he had made up his mind to dispense, but who had been kept on because of the Barchester prebend.

    Framley Parsonage 2004

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