Word of the Day for Friday, November 2, 2012

canonize \KAN-uh-nahyz\,
verb:
1. To glorify and honor.
2. Ecclesiastical. to place in the canon of saints.
3. To consider or treat as sacrosanct or holy.

She is a theme of honor and renown, a spur to valiant and magnanimous deeds, whose present courage may beat down our foes, and fame in time to come canonize us, for I presume brave Hector would not lose.
-- William Shakespeare, "Troilus and Cressida: Act 2, Scene 2"

There are an awful lot of sanctimonious people out there who expect everyone else to canonize them because they're going around like hall monitors confiscating all the ashtrays.
-- Christopher Buckley, "Thank You for Smoking: A Novel"

The original meaning of canonize is "to place someone in the canon or calendar of saints." Canon relates to the Greek kannon, "a measuring rod."

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