humicubation

English

Etymology

From Latin humus (“the ground”) + cubare (“to lie down”).

Noun

humicubation (countable and uncountable, plural humicubations)

1. (obsolete) The act or practice of lying on the ground.
   • 1678, John Bramhall, The Works of the most Reverend Father in God, John Bramhall, D.D. The Late Lord Archbishop of Ardmagh, Primate and Metropolitan of all Ireland, volume III, Dublin: Benjamin Tooke, page 800:

     He is afraid, that this Doctrine of fasting, and mourning, and tears, and humicubation, and sackcloth, and ashes, pertaineth to the establishment of Romish pennance.

   • 1695, John Whitefoot, A Discourse upon I. Peter IV. VIII., Cambridge: John Hayes, page 16:

     The χαμολνία, Humicubation, lying upon ground, &c. which things have been overacted, and still are in the Greek and Roman Churches.

   • 1845, Peter Gunning, The Paschal or Lent Fast Apostolical and Perpetual, Oxford: John Henry Parker, page 147:

     For humicubation we have David's example, ‘And David fasted a fast, and went in and lay all night upon the earth.’