Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Homage
Hom′age
,Noun.
[OF.
homage
, homenage
, F. hommage
, LL. hominaticum
, homenaticum
, from L. homo
a man, LL. also, a client, servant, vassal; akin to L. humus
earth, Gr.[GREEK] on the ground, and E. groom
in bridegroom
. Cf. Bridegroom
, Human
.] 1.
(Feud. Law)
A symbolical acknowledgment made by a feudal tenant to, and in the presence of, his lord, on receiving investiture of fee, or coming to it by succession, that he was his man, or vassal; profession of fealty to a sovereign.
2.
Respect or reverential regard; deference; especially, respect paid by external action; obeisance.
All things in heaven and earth do her [Law]
homage
. Hooker.
I sought no
homage
from the race that write. Pope.
Syn. – Fealty; submission; reverence; honor; respect.
–
Homage
, Fealty
. Homage was originally the act of a feudal tenant by which he declared himself, on his knees, to be the hommage or bondman of the lord; hence the term is used to denote reverential submission or respect. Fealty was originally the fidelity of such a tenant to his lord, and hence the term denotes a faithful and solemn adherence to the obligations we owe to superior power or authority. We pay our homage to men of preëminent usefulness and virtue, and profess our fealty to the principles by which they have been guided. Go, go with
Go, lie like dogs beneath your masters’ feet !
homage
yon proud victors meet !Go, lie like dogs beneath your masters’ feet !
Dryden.
Man, disobeying,
Disloyal, breaks his
Against the high supremacy of heaven.
Disloyal, breaks his
fealty
, and sinsAgainst the high supremacy of heaven.
Milton.
Hom′age
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Homaged
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Homaging
.] [Cf. OF.
hommager
.] 1.
To pay reverence to by external action.
[R.]
2.
To cause to pay homage.
[Obs.]
Cowley.
Webster 1828 Edition
Homage
HOM'AGE
,Noun.
1.
In feudal law, the submission, loyalty and service which a tenant promised to his lord or superior,when first admitted to the land which he held of him in fee; or rather the act of the tenant in making this submission, on being invested with the fee. The ceremony of doing homage was thus performed. The tenant, being ungirt and uncovered, kneeled and held up both his hands between those of the lord, who sat before him, and there professed that 'he did become his man, from that day forth, of life and limb and earthly honor,' and then received a kiss from his lord.2.
Obeisance; respect paid by external action. Go, go, with homage yon proud victors meet.
3.
Reverence directed to the Supreme Being; reverential worship; devout affection.HOM'AGE
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2024
homage
homage
English
Noun
homage (countable and uncountable, plural homages)
- (countable, uncountable) A demonstration of respect, such as towards an individual after their retirement or death
- Alexander Pope
- I sought no homage from the race that write.
- 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women
- When a man squeezes the hand of a pretty woman, ... she will consider such an impertinent freedom in the light of an insult, if she have any true delicacy, instead of being flattered by this unmeaning homage to beauty.
- 2006, New York Times
- It’s appropriate that we pay homage to them and the sacrifices they made.
- Alexander Pope
- (countable) An artistic work imitating another in a flattering style. Recently, the pronunciation /oʊˈmɒːʒ/ has been introduced from French for this usage; see hommage, which preserves the French spelling.
- 2002, Dawson's Creek (TV, episode 6.01)
- He likes to tell people that it's a Hitchcockian thriller, but that's kind of like saying Happy Gilmore is a homage to Woody Allen.
- 2002, Dawson's Creek (TV, episode 6.01)
- (historical) In feudalism, the formal oath of a vassal to honor his or her lord's rights.
- 1593, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona
- We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee,
Love thee as our commander and our king.
- We'll do thee homage, and be rul'd by thee,
- 1593, William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona
Usage notes
- Often used in the construction pay homage to.
- Because of the different pronunciations, homage is sometimes preceded by the article a and sometimes by an.[1]
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
in feudalism, the formal oath of a vassal to his or her lord
demonstration of respect
|
artistic work imitating another in a flattering style
Verb
homage (third-person singular simple present homages, present participle homaging, simple past and past participle homaged)
- (obsolete) To pay reverence to by external action.
- (obsolete) To cause to pay homage.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Cowley to this entry?)
Translations
to pay reverence to somebody
|
External links
- homage in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- homage in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
-
Homage (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
References
- 1 2 3 "'Homage'", Ben Zimmer, "On Language", The New York Times, November 5, 2010