rapture
UK[ˈræptʃə(r)]US[ˈræptʃər]
n
A feeling of extreme pleasure and happiness, often involving being completely absorbed in something.
n
(in Christian belief) The transporting of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ.
Morpheme Breakdown
rapt
ure
rapt
seized
ure
state or result
Etymology
The word "rapture" originates from the Latin verb rapere, meaning "to seize or carry away." This root gave rise to the past participle raptus, which conveys the state of having been seized. In Medieval Latin, the term evolved into raptura, signifying a seizure or abduction, a meaning that passed into Middle English via Old French. The modern abstract sense of an ecstatic state—a being "carried away" by intense emotion—developed in the 17th century, while the specific Christian theological sense of being "caught up" to heaven emerged from interpretations of biblical passages describing the faithful being seized into the air.
Analysis
Structure: rapt (seized) + ure (state or result)
- rapt: From Latin raptus, the past participle of rapere meaning "to seize, carry off, abduct." In English, it functions as a bound root meaning "seized" or "carried away."
- ure: A suffix of Latin origin (-ura) via French, indicating a state, condition, or result of an action. It forms abstract nouns.
Examples
The audience listened to the symphony in a state of pure rapture.
The beauty of the landscape filled her with rapture.
Some Christian doctrines focus on the event of the Rapture as a future hope.