/ ɪˈpɪskəpət; NAmE / noun [ usually sing. ] ( religion )
1.
the episcopate the bishops of a particular church or area
2.
the job of bishop or the period of time during which sb is bishop
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from ecclesiastical Latin episcopatus made a bishop, from episcopus bishop, from Greek episkopos overseer, from epi above + -skopos -looking.