rapture

 
Pronunciation: /ˈraptʃə/

noun

  • 1 [mass noun] a feeling of intense pleasure or joy: Leonora listened with rapture
  • (raptures) expressions of intense pleasure or enthusiasm about something: the tabloids went into raptures about her
  • 2 (the Rapture) North American (according to some millenarian teaching) the transporting of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ: thousands of Christians gathered outside Rochester and other cities, awaiting the Rapture

verb

[with object] North American
  • (according to some millenarian teaching) transport (a believer) from earth to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ: people will be raptured out of automobiles as they are driving along

Phrases

rapture of the deep

informal nitrogen narcosis.

Origin:

late 16th century (in the sense 'seizing and carrying off'): from obsolete French, or from medieval Latin raptura 'seizing', partly influenced by rapt