Dominical \Do*min"ic*al\, a. [LL. dominicalis, for L. dominicus
belonging to a master or lord (dominica dies the Lord's day),
fr. dominus master or lord: cf. F. dominical. See Dame.]
1. Indicating, or pertaining to, the Lord's day, or Sunday.
2. Relating to, or given by, our Lord; as, the dominical (or
Lord's) prayer. --Howell.
Some words altered in the dominical Gospels.
--Fuller.
Dominical altar (Eccl.), the high altar.
Dominical letter, the letter which, in almanacs, denotes
Sunday, or the Lord's day (dies Domini). The first seven
letters of the alphabet are used for this purpose, the
same letter standing for Sunday during a whole year
(except in leap year, when the letter is changed at the
end of February). After twenty-eight years the same
letters return in the same order. The dominical letters go
backwards one day every common year, and two every leap
year; e. g., if the dominical letter of a common year be
G, F will be the dominical letter for the next year.
Called also Sunday letter. Cf. Solar cycle, under
Cycle, n.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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