eucharist
n. C / Un. a Christian ceremony where people eat bread and drink wine to remember the life and death of Jesus. It is also the name for the bread and wine used during this time.
n. the Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed. Often capitalised when referring to the specific rite or the consecrated elements themselves.
The priest prepared the bread for the Eucharist.
During the Sunday service, the congregation gathered at the altar to receive the Eucharist from the minister.
Theological debates regarding the Eucharist often center on the nature of the real presence of Christ within the consecrated bread and wine during the liturgy.
From Middle English eukarist, from Old French, from Ecclesiastical Latin eucharistia, from Ancient Greek εὐχαριστία (eukharistía, “gratitude, giving of thanks”). Displaced native Old English hūsl.
Typically used with the definite article ('the Eucharist') when referring to the rite; can be countable when referring to specific instances or traditions.