/pah'nah yee"ah/ , n. , pl. Panagias for 1. Eastern Ch.
1. a ceremony in a monastery, commemorating the assumption of the Virgin Mary, in which a loaf of bread on a plate is elevated before being distributed to the monks.
2. ( l.c. ) an encolpion bearing the image of the Virgin Mary.
[ 1680-90; Panágia the Virgin, fem. of Gk panágios all-holy, equiv. to pan- PAN- + hágios holy ]