Definition of "pontiff" []

• The pope. (noun)
• A bishop. (noun)
• A pontifex. (noun)

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.

• "FESSIO: Well, yes, pontiff comes from the Latin word "pontifex," which means a builder of a bridge."
• "The pontiff is celebrating Holy Week — the most solemn period in the Roman Catholic calendar — as allegations that the church covered up clerical sex abuse spread across Europe, including his native Germany, and the United States."
• "Pope Benedict XVI sent greetings to Tour riders and organizers as the pack passed close to the Alpine retreat of Les Combes, overlooking Mont Blanc, where the pontiff is staying."