Dominican

The monastic order which was the driving force behind the Spanish Inquisition. Heavily interested in purging heresy, they were the ones who led most of the burnings and torture. Oddly enough, the church itself was usually rather level-headed about the whole business, and stopped at excommunication.

There fighting colours are still black and white. The motto of the order is simply 'veritas'. Most famous Dominican was probably Thomas Aquinas. Eventually, their role as the favourites of the nobility was overtaken by the Jesuits.

Dominican is also an adjective describing people of things from the Dominican Republic (D.R.).

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispanola with Haiti. It is something of an odd mix: one half of the country ( the D.R. ) is peopled by individuals largely sharing a cultural legacy from Spain, while the other half ( Haiti ) is people by folks who integrate African and French cultural legacies.

Do*min"i*can (?), a. [NL. Dominicanus, fr. Dominicus, Dominic, the founder: cf. F. Dominicain.]

Of or pertaining to St. Dominic (Dominic de Guzman), or to the religions communities named from him.

Dominican nuns, an order of nuns founded by St. Dominic, and chiefly employed in teaching. -- Dominican tertiaries (the third order of St. Dominic). See Tertiary.

 

© Webster 1913.

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Do*min"i*can, n. Eccl. Hist.

One of an order of mendicant monks founded by Dominic de Guzman, in 1215. A province of the order was established in England in 1221. The first foundation in the United States was made in 1807. The Master of the Sacred Palace at Rome is always a Dominican friar. The Dominicans are called also preaching friars, friars preachers, black friars (from their black cloak), brothers of St. Mary, and in France, Jacobins.

 

© Webster 1913.