n. [ F. secte, L. secta, fr. sequi to follow; often confused with L. secare, sectum, to cut. See Sue to follow, and cf. Sept, Suit, n. ] Those following a particular leader or authority, or attached to a certain opinion; a company or set having a common belief or allegiance distinct from others; in religion, the believers in a particular creed, or upholders of a particular practice; especially, in modern times, a party dissenting from an established church; a denomination; in philosophy, the disciples of a particular master; a school; in society and the state, an order, rank, class, or party. [ 1913 Webster ]
He beareth the sign of poverty,
And in that sect our Savior saved all mankind. Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]
As of the sect of which that he was born,
He kept his lay, to which that he was sworn. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
The cursed sect of that detestable and false prophet Mohammed. Fabyan. [ 1913 Webster ]
As concerning this sect [ Christians ], we know that everywhere it is spoken against. Acts xxviii. 22. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. secare, sectum, to cut. ] A cutting; a scion. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. secare, sectum, to cut. ] One of the portions of space bounded by the three coordinate planes. Specif. (Crystallog.), one of the parts of a crystal into which it is divided by the axial planes. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One of a sect; a member or adherent of a special school, denomination, or religious or philosophical party; one of a party in religion which has separated itself from established church, or which holds tenets different from those of the prevailing denomination in a state. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Pertaining to a sect, or to sects; peculiar to a sect; bigotedly attached to the tenets and interests of a denomination;
n. The quality or character of a sectarian; devotion to the interests of a party; excess of partisan or denominational zeal; adherence to a separate church organization. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To imbue with sectarian feelings; to subject to the control of a sect. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Sectarianism. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A sectary. [ R. ] T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.;
I never knew that time in England when men of truest religion were not counted sectaries. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]