misericordia

Noun

misericordia (countable and uncountable, plural misericordias)

1. (obsolete) An amercement.
   • It is likely there was some Difference between a Misericordia and an Amerciament. For Example : It was called an Amercement, after it was reduced to a certain Sum; and a Misericordia both before and afterwards.1769, Thomas Madox, Gervasius (of Tilbury.), The History and Antiquities of the Exchequer of the Kings of England, in Two Periods, page 527
   • Neither do I see any reason why such an award of a misericordia by a judge of a court-leet, should express any certain sum for which the party should be in misericordia, except in such cases only where no other person is afterwards to affere it; for in other cases the award of a misericordia is...1824, William Hawkins, A Treatise of the Pleas of the Crown, page 94
2. (historical) A misericord, a thin-bladed dagger, used in the Middle Ages to give the death wound or mercy stroke to a fallen adversary.
   • Near the armchair stood a table; on the table was a crucifix, near it a pitcher of water and a loaf of black bread; in the latter was thrust a misericordia, or that dreadful knife which knights used to despatch the wounded.1900, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Jeremiah Curtin, The Knights of the Cross
   • The feeble light of the lamp of the Madonna's shrine, most religiously attended to even here, fell upon a dark, cruel face, bearing a fixed and horrible grin, the result of a gash upon the upper lip; he carried openly in one hand a misericordia, his sharp Calabrian knife, in the other a lantern.1904, Arthur Griffiths, A Woman of Business, page 210
3. An indulgence as to food or dress granted to a member of a religious order.
   • He took care, too, that the misericordia, or superior dishes or dinners, should be partaken of by the whole community, and not, as had been customary, serve only to feast a few.1818, Edward Wedlake Brayley, John Preston Neale, The History and Antiquities of the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster, page 75
   • To the same brethren also, for the misericordia house, and nowhere else, 24 dishes, 12 saltcellars, and 2 chargers of silver of 10 lbs., weighing 40 lbs., and two books of coronations marked N and L.1861, Sir George Gilbert Scott, Gleanings from Westminster Abbey, page 80
4. A charitable institution, established by royal foundation and managed by a religious order for providing care to the poor, the sick, prisoners, orphans, etc.
   • Foundlings are taken charge of and treated as orphans ; there are several funds set apart for their support by express decrees of former sovereigns of Portugal; they are received into the misericordias, and supported by the chamber of municipality.1834, Report from His Majesty's Commissioners for inquiring into the Administration and practical Operation of the Poor Laws, page 645
   • In 1593, the senate reported to the king of Portugal that Macao had a cathedral with two parishes a misericordia with two hospitals, and four religious bodies, namely Augustines, Dominicans, Jesuits, and Capuchins.1835, The Chinese Repository, page 299
5. One or all of the members of the religious order that operates a misericordia.
   • If a casualty happens, if a man is hurt by any common char if he has a fit, the first of the Misericordia who perceives the accident rings a little bell, and immediately any of the fraternity who may be within hearing flock to the summons,—it is their business to lend the sufferer al the aid in...1826, M.H., “Leaves From a Journal”, in Tobias Merton, editor, The Literary magnet of the belles lettres, science, and the fine arts, volume 1, page 8
   • The excitement of the numerous people I met was great, but after the first few minutes, I dreaded attracting attention, and had the sense to refrain from running, trusting that the sight of a Misericordia walking barefoot would not excite remark.1885, “A Brother of the Misericordia”, in The Living Age, volume 166, page 174
6. A song that is sung as part of a service asking for God's mercy.
   • The guide assisted the count to mount his mule, singing the while a sort of song which more closely resembled a misericordia than a tarentella ; but the count was too much occupied with the dinner he was to partake of, than to remark that the prelude was anything but mirthful.1843, Alexander Dumas, “The Benedictines of St. Nicholas-Le_Vieux”, in Bradshaw's Journal, volume 4, page 151
   • When death stared me in the face, and she could do nothing for a perishing heretic except to solicit a passing procession to chant a misericordia por un infirmo American, that kindly office was not wanting.1856, Robert Anderson Wilson, Mexico, its peasants and its priests, page 288
7. Compassionate mercy.
   • Under these impressions, I am come my Brother, to offer you, what may well be considered, the truest Misericordia; in the consolations of religion to the sorrows of the heart: in comparison of which, the assistance we afford to soften the miseries of the body, become trifling and unimportant.1795, Robert Hawker, Misericordia; or compassion to the sorrows of the heart, page 50
   • The crews are exceedingly timid, and instead of making exertions to extricate their vessel from any impending danger, they throw themselves on their knees, beating the breasts and calling loudly upon their saint, for misericordia.1839, Philip Parker King, Proceedings of the first expedition, 1826-1830, under the command of Captain P. Parker King