catechism

/ˈkætɪˌkɪzəm/

Etymology

From Late Latin catechismus, from Ancient Greek *κατηχισμός (*katēkhismós), from κατηχίζω (katēkhízō, “to catechize”), a later extended form of κατηχέω (katēkhéō, “to catechize, instruct, teach by word of mouth”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἠχέω (ēkhéō, “to sound, resound”).

catechism means A book, in question and answer form, summarizing the basic principles of Christianity. Lexicurio rates it Distinctive — a strength score of 67 out of 100.

Why this word is great

CATECHISM — [Noun] A manual of religious fundamentals, structured as a formal series of questions and their prescribed answers. From Late Latin catechismus, from Ancient Greek κατηχισμός (katēkhismós), from κατηχίζω (katēkhízō, "to instruct orally"), from κατά (katá, "down") + ἠχέω (ēkhéō, "to sound, resound"). Unlike a creed, a declarative edifice of belief, or a doctrine, an abstract body of theory, a catechism is the pedagogical engine, the relentless, rhythmic drill of belief into bone. It is the call-and-response chant that shapes a child's breath before it shapes their thought, the indelible press of rote answers into soft memory, and the rigid scaffolding upon which a lifetime of private doubt will later strain—a formal architecture of sound, built to hold a silence too vast to name.

noun

A book, in question and answer form, summarizing the basic principles of Christianity.
A basic manual in some subject.
A set of questions designed to determine knowledge.“...the walls were covered with paper, whose original colour and pattern had long since merged in a dingy brown; over this were hung up some unframed drawings, and some shelves on which were ranged all the old school books, grammars, Pinnock's catechisms, and one or two French novels that had belonged to a former governess.”