worship

Etymology

From Middle English worschippe, worthschipe, from Old English weorþsċipe. Synchronically analyzable as worth (“worthy, honorable”) + -ship. Cognate with Scots worschip (“worship”).

noun

1. The devotion accorded to a deity or to a sacred object.
   Polytheistic theology and worship had to go underground.
2. (Christianity, specifically) The adoration owed to God alone, as greater than the veneration that may be accorded to figures such as saints.
3. The religious ceremonies that express this devotion.
4. (by extension) Voluntary, utter submission; voluntary, utter deference.
5. (also by extension) Ardent love.
6. An object of worship.
7. (chiefly Britain) Used as a title or term of address for various officials, including magistrates
   'Your Worships, I have a submission to put before the court. As Your Worships are aware, it is the duty of the court under Section thirty-nine of the Children and Young Persons Act to protect the identity of minors who are victims of offences […] 1999, Val McDermid, A Place of Execution, London: HarperCollins, →OCLC, page 209
8. (obsolete) Honour; respect; civil deference.
9. (obsolete) The condition of being worthy; honour, distinction.
10. (music, slang) The fact of an artist's music heavily drawing influence from some other artist's work in a way that appears too obvious or unapologetic; a piece of music that does that.
    In that time, McLachlan’s music has developed from adolescent Kate Bush worship to mature roots-driven folk (like the hits “Building a Mystery” and “Sweet Surrender”) and ballads (“Witness,” “I Love You”) that border on hymnody. April 30 1998, Chris Mundy, “Interview: Sarah McLachlan”, in Rolling Stone, New York, N.Y.: Penske Media Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-07-18
    Rather, Lenny's new material covered a lot of ground, from the folk-to-hard rock build of "Fields of Joy," to the technology-accented church hymns of "Stand by My Woman," to the unapologetic Jimi Hendrix worship of "Stop Draggin' Around" to the stylish orchestrated Philly soul of "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over." April 2 2016, Eduardo Rivadavia, “How Lenny Kravitz Combined Classic Rock and Soul on ‘Mama Said’”, in Ultimate Classic Rock, archived from the original on 2023-06-23
    Of the songs with actual vocals, it’s much more derivative than anything else they would do. A couple songs are pretty close to My Bloody Valentine worship (which suits me fine). There’s very little of the glacial bowed-guitar and neo-classicism that made them one of the most celebrated bands in the world. October 17 2020, Nathaniel FitzGerald, “The Worst Debuts From Great Bands”, in A Year of Vinyl, archived from the original on 2023-03-23
    The pieces are so removed from Godspeed You! Black Emperor worship or [William] Basinski-style concrete constructions that listeners will question Munkus’ intentions – and that’s a shame, because the material’s ambitions soar above the structure of the disc. November 22 2021, Justin Vellucci, “Daniel Munkus: The Edge of the High Trace”, in Spectrum Culture, archived from the original on 2021-12-25

verb

1. (transitive) To reverence (a deity, etc.) with supreme respect and veneration; to perform religious exercises in honour of.
2. (transitive) To honour with extravagant love and extreme submission, as a lover; to adore; to idolize.
   With bended knees I daily worship her, / Yet she consumes her own Idolater. c. 1639, Thomas Carew, The Poems and Masque of Thomas Carew, London: Reeves and Turner, published 1893, →OCLC, A Cruel Mistress, page 6
   […] And she would sit in the car and pretend to hold the wheel. All the household worshipped her! Even the police came to understand that. Ah, the beautiful little one! 1934, Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express, New York: Pocket Books, published 1960, →OCLC, page 236
3. (intransitive) To participate in religious ceremonies.
   We worship at the church down the road.