Eucharist

How to spell eucharist

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce eucharist

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does eucharist mean?

1. nounThe Christian sacrament of bread and wine commemorating the Last Supper, also called Holy Communion.

Eucharist in a sentence

• The priest prepared the bread and wine for the eucharist.

• Many parishioners receive the eucharist every Sunday morning.

Where does eucharist come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word comes from the Greek eucharistia, which literally meant 'thanksgiving' or 'gratitude'. It was built from eu, meaning 'good' or 'well', and charis, meaning 'grace' or 'favour', the same root that gives us 'charisma' and 'charity'. Early Christians used the term for the rite of bread and wine because it was understood as an act of giving thanks. The Greek passed into Church Latin as eucharistia and then reached English through Old French around the fourteenth century. The spelling keeps its Greek bones, with the 'eu' opening and the 'ch' standing for the Greek chi, which is exactly the trap for modern writers who hear a plain 'k' sound.

How the word is built

• eu- (Greek: good, well)
• char (from charis: grace, favour, thanks)
• -ist (from -ia, noun suffix here giving the act of thanksgiving)