The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sabbath \Sab"bath\, n. [OE. sabat, sabbat, F. sabbat, L. sabbatum, Gr. sa`bbaton, fr. Heb. shabb[=a]th, fr. sh[=a]bath to rest from labor. Cf. Sabbat.]
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A season or day of rest; one day in seven appointed for rest or worship, the observance of which was enjoined upon the Jews in the Decalogue, and has been continued by the Christian church with a transference of the day observed from the last to the first day of the week, which is called also Lord's Day.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
--Ex. xx. 8. The seventh year, observed among the Israelites as one of rest and festival.
--Lev. xxv. 4.-
Fig.: A time of rest or repose; intermission of pain, effort, sorrow, or the like.
Peaceful sleep out the sabbath of the tomb.
--Pope.Sabbath breaker, one who violates the law of the Sabbath.
Sabbath breaking, the violation of the law of the Sabbath.
Sabbath-day's journey, a distance of about a mile, which, under Rabbinical law, the Jews were allowed to travel on the Sabbath.
Syn: Sabbath, Sunday.
Usage: Sabbath is not strictly synonymous with Sunday. Sabbath denotes the institution; Sunday is the name of the first day of the week. The Sabbath of the Jews is on Saturday, and the Sabbath of most Christians on Sunday. In New England, the first day of the week has been called ``the Sabbath,'' to mark it as holy time; Sunday is the word more commonly used, at present, in all parts of the United States, as it is in England. ``So if we will be the children of our heavenly Father, we must be careful to keep the Christian Sabbath day, which is the Sunday.''
--Homilies.
Usage examples of "sabbath breaking".
A prison chaplain remarked that men sentenced to death often began their confession with Sabbath breaking before they went on to robbery or murder.
Men like Grimshaw were by no means uncommon, for Sabbath breaking was regarded as the most shocking of sins.
Ex-officio professors of Sabbath breaking are all whalemen, The ivory Pequod was turned into what seemed a shamble.