Bishops

/ˈbɪʃəpz/ noun

Definition

High-ranking Christian clergy members who oversee churches in a region, or chess pieces shaped like bishops that move diagonally.

Etymology

From Old English 'bisceop,' borrowed from Late Latin 'episcopus,' which comes from Greek 'episkopos' meaning 'overseer' or 'supervisor.' The chess piece was named after the clergy because of its pointed hat resembling a bishop's mitre.

Kelly Says

In chess, bishops are trapped by their own design—they can only ever move on one color of squares (either all white or all black), so two bishops can never reach each other. This medieval game feature perfectly mirrors the rigid hierarchies of the Church from which it borrowed the name!

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