Dictionary
cer•e•mo•ny
Pronunciation: (ser'u-mō"nē), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -nies.
1. the formal activities conducted on some solemn or important public or state occasion:
the coronation ceremony.
2. a formal religious or sacred observance; a solemn rite:
a marriage ceremony.
3. formal observances or gestures collectively; ceremonial observances:
The breathless messenger had no time for ceremony.
4. any formal act or observance, esp. a meaningless one:
His low bow was mere ceremony.
5. a gesture or act of politeness or civility:
the ceremony of a handshake.
6. strict adherence to conventional forms; formality:
to leave a room without ceremony.
7. stand on ceremony, to behave in a formal or ceremonious manner.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.