■ noun the principal church of a diocese.
Word History
The word ~ was first used in the 13th century as an adjective in the term ~ church or church ~ , 'the church which contains the bishop's throne'. It comes from the Latin word for a seat or throne, cathedra , from Greek kathedra , and is closely related to chair . Its use as a noun to mean the principal church of a diocese dates from the 16th century.