parish

An administrative part of a diocese, especially an Anglican or Roman Catholic diocese, having its own church and a designated priest.

The members of such a parish; a religious community attending one church.

A political subdivision of a British county, usually corresponding in boundaries to an original ecclesiastical parish.

An administrative subdivision in Louisiana that corresponds to a county in other US states.

In the game of curling, the ring in the center of which the tee is placed.

In the early Christian ch., a district placed under the superintendence of a bishop; a diocese.

In Great Britain and Ireland, a district or territorial division.

Now, also, a civil division of the country for purposes of local self-government, such as the legal care of the poor, education, the regulation of sanitary matters, etc.: it is in general conterminous with the ecclesiastical parish. At present there are in England and Wales about 13,000 ecclesiastical parishes, and about 15,000 civil parishes, of which not more than 10,000 coincide with the ecclesiastical districts bearing the same name. In Scotland in 1888 there were 934 civil parishes or parishes proper (quoad omnia) and 386 parishes quoad sacra (that is, parishes in respect of things ecclesiastical only). There are several other minor classes of parishes, as the land-tax and Burial Act parishes in England, and the burghal and extra-burghal parishes in Scotland.

In the United States: In colonial times, in some of the southern colonies, a subdivision of the county for purposes of local government.