viaticum

[Latin neut. sing. of viatic us = viatic (q. v.).] *I. Ord . Lang .: Provisions, ., for a journey"Sith thy pilgrimage is almost past, Thou need'st the le e viaticum for it." Davies: Witte's Pilgrimage , sign. S. 4 b. II. Technically : *1. Roman Antiq .: A traveling allowance to officers who were sent into the provinces to exercise any office or perform auy service. 2. Ecclesiology and Church History: *(1) The Eucharist, as the support of Christians in their earthly pilgrimage. *(2) The absolution and communion of the dying. (3) ( In the Roman Church): The Sacrament of the Eucharist given to persons in danger of death. The form is: "Receive, brother [or sister], the viaticum of the body of Our Lord Jesus Christ. May he guard thee from the malignant foe, and lead thee to eternal life." vi-ā-tõr, s. [Lat. a traveler, from via =a road, *1. Ord. Lang.: A traveler. 1. The quality or state of being viable; the capaca way.] ity of living after birth. "Recurrency is a measure of viability ." Proc. Royal Society, Feb. 21, 1869. 2. The capacity of living or being distributed over wide geographical areas; as, the viability of a species.