Rite
Charles Buck Theological Dictionary [1]
A solemn act of religion; an external ceremony. (
See Ceremony.) For the rites of the Jews, see Lowman's Hebrew Ritual; Spencer de Heb. Leg.; Durrell on the Mosaic Institution; Bishop Law's Theory of Religion, p. 89. 6th ed; Godwyn's Moses and Aaron; Edwards's Survey of all Religions, vol. 1: ch. 9.; Jenning's Jewish Antiquities.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(n.) The act of performing divine or solemn service, as established by law, precept, or custom; a formal act of religion or other solemn duty; a solemn observance; a ceremony; as, the rites of freemasonry.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [3]
(Lat. ritus) is, in general, an external sign or action employed in religious services, and designed either to express or to incite a corresponding internal religious feeling. Such are, for instance, the uplifting or outstretchting of the hands in prayer, the imposition of hands, etc. The name rite is sometimes used to signify the aggregate of all the ceremonies used in a particular religious office, as a "rite of baptism" or of the eucharist. In a still wider sense, it is used of the whole body of distinctive ceremonial, including the liturgy employed by a particular community of Christians. In this way we speak of the "Roman rite," the "Greek rite," or the "Slavonic rite." (See Ceremony).
