Hagiographies

/ˌhæɡiˈɒɡrəfiz/ noun

Definition

Plural form of hagiography; multiple accounts or collections of written biographies of saints or greatly revered persons.

Etymology

From Greek 'hagios' (holy) + 'graphia' (writing). The plural form follows the Greek tradition of adding '-ies' to '-ia' nouns, used since medieval times for collections of saint's lives.

Kelly Says

The hagiographies of saints were so popular in medieval Europe that almost every monastery had its own collection—kind of like having authorized biographies that conveniently left out embarrassing details!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.