Meanings
nounpericope (plural pericopes or pericopae)
plural pericopes · plural pericopae
- rhetoricA section of text forming a coherent thought, suitable for use in a speech.
- A passage of Scripture to be read in public worship or a book containing such passages.
The reader looked up the Sunday morning pericope.
1 more example
The oldest known system of pericopes in the Western Church is ascribed to Jerome.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Origin
- Ancient Greekπερικοπή“section”
- Late Latinpericope
- Englishpericope
From Late Latin pericope, from Ancient Greek περικοπή (perikopḗ, “section”), from περι- (peri-, “across”) + κοπή (kopḗ, “cutting”), from κόπτω (kóptō, “I cut”).
More words from Late Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish perikooppi, raamatunkohta
- perikooppisection of text forming a coherent thought
- raamatunkohtapassage of religious Scripture
French péricope, péricope liturgique
- péricopesection of text forming a coherent thought
- péricope liturgiquepassage of religious Scripture
German Perikope
- Perikopepassage of religious Scripture
Greek περικοπή, περικοπή
- περικοπή (perikopí)section of text forming a coherent thought
- περικοπή (perikopí)passage of religious Scripture
Indonesian perikop, perikop
- perikopsection of text forming a coherent thought
- perikoppassage of religious Scripture
Polish perykopa
- perykopapassage of religious Scripture
Cite this entry
APA
pericope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pericope
MLA
“pericope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pericope. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pericope,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pericope.
Source: pericope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.