Ebenezern.
/ˌɛbᵻˈniːzə/, U.S. /ˌɛbəˈnizər/ 1.
a. The name of the memorial stone set up by Samuel after the victory of Mizpeh: see 1 Samuel vii. 12. Used appellatively in religious literature in figurative phrases, alluding to the sentiment ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us’, associated with the origin of the name. Chiefly U.S.
ΚΠ
1693 C. Mather Wonders Invisible World 14 Many an Ebenezer has been Erected unto the Praise of God by his Poor People here.
1745 in Hist. Coll. Essex Inst. (1864) VI. 181/2 I can..here set up my Ebenezer, & say that hitherto God has preserved me.
1783 R. Robinson in T. Robinson Coll. Psalms & Hymns (new ed.) 306 Here I raise mine Eben-ezer, Hither by thy help I'm come.
1840 Knickerbocker 15 184 These things..were only inducements to him to set up his Ebenezer in this place.
1870 J. H. B. Nowland Early Reminisc. Indianapolis 86 At a love-feast, the old man said..he was able to raise his Ebenezer, and that the cloud had passed away.
b. Temper, passion. U.S. slang. Evidently by a misunderstanding of ‘raise’.
ΚΠ
1836 Public Ledger (Philadelphia) 27 July Says I, Deb,..I'll send you wool enough to make a wig. That ris Deb's ebenezer.
1838 T. C. Haliburton Clockmaker 2nd Ser. xxii. 333 If you go for to raise your voice at him,..his Ebenezer is up in a minit.
1849 D. Nason Jrnl. 14 Our Steward is under the constant necessity of a check-rein upon his ebenezer.
2. Occasionally (like Bethel, Zoar, Zion, etc.) adopted by Methodists, Baptists, Independents, etc. as the name of a particular chapel or meeting-house. Hence used contemptuously as a synonym for ‘dissenting chapel’.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > artefacts > sanctuary or holy place > chapel > [noun] > nonconformist
conventicle?1550
meeting-place1589
meeting1593
meeting house1632
chapel1662
pantile1714
tabernacle1768
gospel-shop?1782
schism-shop1801
bethel1840
schism-house1843
Ebenezer1849
Bethesda1857
Salem1857
praise house1862
1849 W. M. Thackeray Pendennis i. xv. 133 Clavering New Church prospered... Their efforts had thinned the very Ebenezer hard by them.
1856 Sat. Rev. 2 318 Such low resorts as public-houses and Ebenezers.
1871 R. B. Vaughan St. Thomas of Aquin II. 859 As if the Basilica of S. Peter's were brought into juxtaposition with the Zions and Ebenezers of our more modern days.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1693