seminaries

Noun

seminary (plural seminaries)

1. A theological school for the training of rabbis, priests, or ministers.
2. A private residential school for girls.
   • Three little maids who, all unwary,
     Come from a ladies' seminary1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert; Arthur Sullivan, composer, […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., […], →OCLC
3. (Mormonism) A class of religious education for youths ages 14–18 that accompanies normal secular education.
4. A piece of ground where seed is sown for producing plants for transplantation.
   • I shall first begin with the Seminary and Nursery, as what is the first Work to be taken care of where you have not the opportunity of buying Trees1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC
5. (broadly) The place or original stock from which anything is brought or produced.
   • Seeing then there is indeed a twofold Seminary or stock in nature, from whence are deriv’d the issues of love and hatred distinctly flowing through the whole masse of created things, and that Gods doing ever is to bring the due likenesses and harmonies of his workes together, except when out of two...1643, John Milton, Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
6. (obsolete) Seminal state or polity.
   • The hand of God that first created the Earth, hath with variety disposed the principles of all things; wisely contriving them in their proper seminaries1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC

See all 9 meanings of seminary