Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A handbook; a manual.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A book to be carried in the hand; a manual; a handbook.
  • noun Specifically— A Roman Catholic service-book containing the Little Office of the Virgin.
  • noun An ecclesiastical manual of the Greek Church.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Handbook; a manual of devotions.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A handbook or manual.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin enchīridion, from Greek enkheiridion : en-, in; see en– + kheir, hand; see ghes- in Indo-European roots + -idion, diminutive suff.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἐγχειρίδιον (enkheiridion), from ἐν (en, "in") + χείρ (kheir, "hand") + a diminutive suffix.

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Examples

  • The plot twists were a little too convenient, and the language at times was a little unbelievable (okay she's an academic, but does that really give her the right to use the word enchiridion to describe a parenting book?).

    Bookworm 2008

  • And at enchiridion-militis.com, every writer posts this little cross †after her/his name.

    Firedoglake » Late Nite FDL: Racist Crusaders Advocate Holy War — The Connection Between Racism, RedState, and the War on Terror 2006

  • I decided in the end not to bestow an enchiridion upon Dana -- it was just a bit too flavorful for this particular story/voice -- but here are some other suggested uses for it: Honey, the blender's broken.

    Excellent Word of the Day: enchiridion Cheryl 2005

  • "Yes, Officer, the registration is in the glove compartment, right next to the enchiridion."

    Excellent Word of the Day: enchiridion Cheryl 2005

  • But it is only fair to bear in mind that the Lay is less a poem than an enchiridion, a sort of Emersonian guide to the conduct of life rather than an exquisitely-presented summary of the thoughts of an Eastern pessimist.

    The Life of Sir Richard Burton 2003

  • Called a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, this 'propaedeutic enchiridion' came with its own power pack, a voice-recognition interface, 'smart paper' computer pages, 'nanoreceptors' to measure the reader's pulse, and a database that amounted to 'a catalogue of the collective unconscious. '

    Cri de Coeur Leonard, John 2001

  • Laurentius wanted a handbook (enchiridion) that would sum up the essential Christian teaching in the briefest possible form.

    Confessions and Enchiridion, newly translated and edited by Albert C. Outler 345-430 1955

  • But it is only fair to bear in mind that the Lay is less a poem than an enchiridion, a sort of Emersonian guide to the conduct of life rather than an exquisitely-presented summary of the thoughts of an Eastern pessimist.

    The Life of Sir Richard Burton Wright, Thomas, 1859-1936 1906

  • But it is only fair to bear in mind that the Lay is less a poem than an enchiridion, a sort of Emersonian guide to the conduct of life rather than an exquisitely-presented summary of the thoughts of an

    The Life of Sir Richard Burton Thomas Wright 1897

  • It is an impious but comic enchiridion of almost all violence, all done, curiously, in a mannered style - he tended to draw people in extended and vaguely balletic postures - and in arch, elegant forms.

    NPR Topics: News 2011

Comments

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  • Greek en (in) + cheir (hand) + diminutive... in typical use now, a handbook, doubtless influenced by the work by Epictetus of the same name, but originally could mean either handbook or dagger.

    May 25, 2010

  • In The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer is also called a "Propaedeutic Enchiridion" (p 184 of the Spectra trade paperback edition)

    May 22, 2016

  • Pop Culture Note: Enchiridion also appears as a formal title in the "Adventure Time!" series as a handbook for heroes. Episodes where it plays a major role:

    ◾"The Enchiridion!"

    ◾"Another Way"

    ◾"In Your Footsteps"

    ◾"The Lich"

    ◾"Crossover" (Farmworld Enchiridion)

    ◾"Winter Light" (Farmworld Enchiridion; in Standard Timeline)

    ◾"Cloudy" (Farmworld Enchiridion; in Standard Timeline)

    ◾"Skyhooks II" (Farmworld Enchiridion; in Standard Tim

    May 10, 2017

  • We learn from the lesson of Gideon,

    Who vanquished the army of Midian,

    Success takes invention

    And not close attention

    To rules in some stale enchiridion.

    Judges 7:17–22

    June 5, 2017