postil

See also: постіль

English

Etymology 1

From French postille (“marginal note”), from Late Latin postilla, probably from post illa (verba) (“after those (words)”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: pŏs'təl, IPA^(key): /ˈpɒstɪl/, /ˈpɒstəl/
• Rhymes: -ɒstəl

Noun

postil (plural postils)

1. (archaic) A Bible commentary written in its margins.
2. A marginal note.
3. A short homily or commentary on a passage of Scripture.
4. A collection of homilies.

Related terms

• apostil, apostille

Translations

marginal note

• Finnish: reunahuomautus
• German: Randbemerkung (de) f, Randnotiz f, Marginalie (de) f

short homily

collection of homilies

• Finnish: postilla (fi), saarnakokoelma, hartauskirja
• German: Postille (de) f
• Spanish: sermonario m
• Swedish: postilla (sv) c

Etymology 2

From Late Latin postillo.

Verb

postil (third-person singular simple present postils, present participle postiling or postilling, simple past and past participle postiled or postilled)

1. (transitive) To write marginal or explanatory notes on; to gloss.
   • 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC:

     postilled in the margin

2. (intransitive) To write postils, or marginal notes; to comment; to postillate.

References

• “postil”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• pilots, pistol, potlis, sploit, spoilt