释义 |
hea·then I. \ˈhēthən\ adjective Etymology: Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣthen, adjective & noun; akin to Old High German heidan, adjective, heathen, heidano, n., Old Norse heithinn, adjective, heathen, Gothic haithno heathen woman, probably derivatives from the root of English heath (land) 1. : of or relating to the heathen, their religions, or their customs : pagan, unenlightened 2. : strange, unfamiliar, foreign II. noun (plural heathens or heathen) Etymology: Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣthen 1. a. : an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible : pagan < I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance — Ps 2:8 (Authorized Version) > b. biblical : idolater, gentile 2. a. : a person whose culture or enlightenment is of an inferior grade; especially : an irreligious person b. : a person felt to resemble a heathen (as in nonconformity or ignorance) < a grand old heathen who made his own place in life > |