n., pl., au·tos-da-fé (ô'tōz-, ou'tōz-).
- Public announcement of the sentences imposed by the Inquisition.
- The public execution of those sentences by secular authorities, especially by burning at the stake.
[Portuguese auto da fé : auto, act + da, of the + fé, faith.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
