Decalogue

n.

1. Bible. The Ten Commandments.
2. A fundamental set of rules having authoritative weight.

[Middle English decalog, from Late Latin decalogus, from Greek dekalogos : deka, ten + logos, word, pronouncement.]

Parts of a reredos in a church on which the Ten Commandments are set out, commonly found in England from the C17. It may also be in the form of separate framed panels set up on a wall in a church.

A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

n.

A series of commandments, ten in number -- just enough to permit an intelligent selection for observance, but not enough to embarrass the choice. Following is the revised edition of the Decalogue, calculated for this meridian.

    Thou shalt no God but me adore:
    'Twere too expensive to have more.
    
    No images nor idols make
    For Robert Ingersoll to break.
    
    Take not God's name in vain; select
    A time when it will have effect.
    
    Work not on Sabbath days at all,
    But go to see the teams play ball.
    
    Honor thy parents.  That creates
    For life insurance lower rates.
    
    Kill not, abet not those who kill;
    Thou shalt not pay thy butcher's bill.
    
    Kiss not thy neighbor's wife, unless
    Thine own thy neighbor doth caress
    
    Don't steal; thou'lt never thus compete
    Successfully in business.  Cheat.
    
    Bear not false witness -- that is low --
    But "hear 'tis rumored so and so."
    
    Covet thou naught that thou hast not
    By hook or crook, or somehow, got.
                                                                  G.J.

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the biblical commandments of Moses
  Synonym: Ten Commandments

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - de ti bud

Nederlands (Dutch)
decaloog (de tien geboden)

Français (French)
n. - décalogue

Deutsch (German)
n. - Dekalog, die Zehn Gebote

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ο Δεκάλογος, οι Δέκα Εντολές

Italiano (Italian)
decalogo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - Decálogo (m)

Русский (Russian)
десять заповедей

Español (Spanish)
n. - decálogo, los diez mandamientos

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - Tio Guds Bud

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
十诫

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 十誡

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 십계, 기본 계율

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 十戒

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الوصايا العشر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עשרת הדיברות‬

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