Au'to-dä-fé', n.
(au·to·dä·fā'), n.; pl. AU'TŌS-DA-FE'. [Pg., act of faith; Sp. auto de fé; auto, equiv. to Lat. actus, act, and fé, equiv. to Lat. fides, faith.]
Sense 1. (Eccl.) A judgment of the Inquisition condemning or acquitting persons accused of religious offenses.
Sense 2. An execution of such judgments, especially of those which condemned persons to the flames. It was usually held on Sunday, and was made a great public solemnity by various impressive forms and ceremonies.
Sense 3. The session of the court of Inquisition.
☞— The term has been figuratively applied to the destruction of a thing by fire, especially on religious or conscientious grounds. “To hold an auto-da-fé of parchments.” Prescott.