Meanings
plural maundies
- countableobsoleteuncountableA commandment.
- countableuncountableChristianityThe ceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors, performed as a religious rite on Maundy Thursday in commemoration of Christ's washing the disciples' feet at the Last Supper.
- countableuncountableChristianityThe office appointed to be read during the religious ceremony of foot-washing.
Synonyms & antonyms
foot-washing ceremony
Origin
- Latinmandatum“commandment”
- Old Frenchmandée“mandated”
- Middle Englishmaundee
- Englishmaundy
From Middle English maundee, maunde, from Old French mandée (“mandated”), from Latin mandatum (“commandment”). Doublet of mandate. The word came to refer to the foot-washing ceremony performed on Thursday before Easter because of the phrase used by Jesus to explain his act of foot-washing, which in the Latin Vulgate begins: Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem ..., i.e. "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another …" (John 13:34).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch voetwassing
- voetwassingceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors
Polish Eucharystia, Najświętsza Ofiara
- Eucharystiasacrament of the Lord's supper
- Najświętsza Ofiarasacrament of the Lord's supper
- Sakrament Ołtarzasacrament of the Lord's supper
- Msza Świętasacrament of the Lord's supper
- Komuniasacrament of the Lord's supper
- Najświętszy Sakramentsacrament of the Lord's supper
- Wieczerza Pańskasacrament of the Lord's supper
- Ciało Chrystusasacrament of the Lord's supper
- Krew Chrystusasacrament of the Lord's supper
- umywanie nógceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors
- obrzęd pokoryceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors
- mandatumceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors
Portuguese lava-pés
- lava-pésceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors
Spanish lavatorio, mandato
- lavatorioceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors
- mandatoceremony of washing the feet of poor persons or inferiors
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
maundy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maundy
“maundy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maundy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maundy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maundy.
Source: maundy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.