parish

parish
    n 1: a local church community
    2: the local subdivision of a diocese committed to one pastor
    

Parish \Par"ish\, a.
   Of or pertaining to a parish; parochial; as, a parish church;
   parish records; a parish priest; maintained by the parish;
   as, parish poor. --Dryden.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Parish clerk}.
   (a) The clerk or recording officer of a parish.
   (b) A layman who leads in the responses and otherwise assists
       in the service of the Church of England.

   {Parish court}, in Louisiana, a court in each parish.
      [1913 Webster]
    

parish \par"ish\ (p[a^]r"[i^]sh), n. [OE. parishe, paresche,
   parosche, OF. paroisse, parosse, paroiche, F. paroisse, L.
   parochia, corrupted fr. paroecia, Gr. paroiki`a, fr.
   pa`roikos dwelling beside or near; para` beside + o'i^kos a
   house, dwelling; akin to L. vicus village. See {Vicinity},
   and cf. {Parochial}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. (Eccl. & Eng. Law)
      (a) That circuit of ground committed to the charge of one
          parson or vicar, or other minister having cure of
          souls therein. --Cowell.
      (b) The same district, constituting a civil jurisdiction,
          with its own officers and regulations, as respects the
          poor, taxes, etc.
          [1913 Webster]

   Note: Populous and extensive parishes are now divided, under
         various parliamentary acts, into smaller ecclesiastical
         districts for spiritual purposes. --Mozley & W.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. An ecclesiastical society, usually not bounded by
      territorial limits, but composed of those persons who
      choose to unite under the charge of a particular priest,
      clergyman, or minister; also, loosely, the territory in
      which the members of a congregation live. [U. S.]
      [1913 Webster]

   3. In Louisiana, a civil division corresponding to a county
      in other States.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Parish, NY (village, FIPS 56341)
  Location: 43.40431 N, 76.12894 W
  Population (1990): 473 (181 housing units)
  Area: 3.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
  Zip code(s): 13131
    

Parish, NY -- U.S. village in New York
   Population (2000):    512
   Housing Units (2000): 212
   Land area (2000):     1.538490 sq. miles (3.984671 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1.538490 sq. miles (3.984671 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            56341
   Located within:       New York (NY), FIPS 36
   Location:             43.405580 N, 76.126080 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     13131
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Parish, NY
    Parish
    

PARISH. A district of country of different extents. In the ecclesiastical 
law it signified the territory committed to the charge of a parson, vicar, 
or other minister. Ayl. Parerg. 404; 2 Bl. Com. 112. In Louisiana, the state 
is divided into parishes. 
    

65 Moby Thesaurus words for "parish":
      Kreis, archbishopric, archdiocese, arrondissement, assembly,
      bailiwick, bishopric, borough, brethren, canton, churchgoers, city,
      class, commune, conference, congregation, congressional district,
      constablewick, county, departement, diocese, district, duchy,
      electoral district, electorate, flock, fold, government, hamlet,
      hundred, laity, laymen, magistracy, metropolis, metropolitan area,
      minyan, nonclerics, nonordained persons, oblast, okrug,
      parishioners, people, precinct, principality, province, region,
      riding, seculars, see, sheep, sheriffalty, sheriffwick, shire,
      shrievalty, society, soke, stake, state, synod, territory, town,
      township, village, wapentake, ward