idolatry

• idololatry (rare)

Inherited from Middle English ydolatrie, from Old French idolatrie, from Ecclesiastical Latin īdōlatrīa, from Late Latin īdōlolatrīa, from Ancient Greek εἰδωλολατρίᾱ (eidōlolatríā, “worship of idols”), back-formation from εἰδωλολάτρης (eidōlolátrēs), from εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “idol”) & λάτρις (látris, “worshipper”) or λατρεύω (latreúō, “I worship”), from λάτρον (látron, “payment”). Equivalent to idol +‎ -latry. Cognate with Modern French idolâtrie, Italian idolatria, Occitan ydolatria, Portuguese idolatria, and Spanish idolatría. Displaced native Old English dēofolġield (literally “devil worship”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /aɪˈdɒl.ə.tɹiː/
• (US) enPR: ī-dŏ'lə-trē, IPA^(key): /aɪˈdɑ.lə.tɹi/

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idolatry (countable and uncountable, plural idolatries)

2. (religion) The worship of idols.

   Synonym: avodah zarah

   • 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:

     The parish stank of idolatry, abominable rites were practiced in secret, and in all the bounds there was no one had a more evil name for the black traffic than one Alison Sempill, who bode at the Skerburnfoot.

   • 1941, George Ryley Scott, Phallic Worship: A History of Sex and Sex Rites in Relation to the Religions of All Races from Antiquity to the Present Day, London: T. Werner Laurie, page 20:

     Now the great obstacle in tracing the identity of any of the basic forms of worship lies in the vast number of names which appear in the ancient idolatries and mythologies, creating the illusion of a miscellany of gods, whereas many of these different names refer to the same deity. Thus the sun has been personified and worshipped under as many different names as there are nations on the surface of the earth.

3. (figurative) The excessive admiration of somebody or something.

   Synonyms: adoration, reverence, worship

• idolatry on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• adroitly, dilatory

Inherited from Middle English ydolatrie, from Old French idolatrie, from Ecclesiastical Latin īdōlatrīa, from Late Latin īdōlolatrīa, from Ancient Greek εἰδωλολατρίᾱ (eidōlolatríā, “worship of idols”), back-formation from εἰδωλολάτρης (eidōlolátrēs), from εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “idol”) & λάτρις (látris, “worshipper”) or λατρεύω (latreúō, “I worship”), from λάτρον (látron, “payment”). Equivalent to idol +‎ -latry. Cognate with Modern French idolâtrie, Italian idolatria, Occitan ydolatria, Portuguese idolatria, and Spanish idolatría. Displaced native Old English dēofolġield (literally “devil worship”).

idolatry (uncountable)

1. (religion) idolatry (the worship of idols)
   • 1904, “Galatians, V”, in William Wye Smith, transl., The New Testament in Braid Scots‎^[1], Paisley: Alexander Gardner, page 241:

     But plain to be seen are the warks o’ the flesh ; whilk are adultery, lechery, wantonness, […] Idolatry, divination, hatred, fa’in-oot, jealousy, wrath, factions, pairties, […]

     The works of the flesh are clear: illicit sex, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, sectarianism.