Definition of "cathedral" [ca•the•dral]

• The principal church of a bishop's diocese, containing the episcopal throne. (noun)
• A large, important church. (noun)
• Something that resembles a cathedral, as in grandeur or authority. (noun)
• Of, relating to, or containing a bishop's throne: a cathedral church. (adjective)
• Relating to or issuing from a chair of office or authority; authoritative. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "She had a two-storey apartment, and in part of it they'd gone right through the ceiling to make what they call a cathedral ceiling."
• "Alongside the cathedral is a more modern branch of a bank that replaced a fantastically Moorish cinema building - long since demolished."
• "In the cathedral is the tomb of the Emperor Yturbide, and superb paintings, some by"