PHAR'ISEE, noun [Heb. to separate.] One of a sect among the Jews, whose religion consisted in a strict observance of rites and ceremonies and of the traditions of the elders, and whose pretended holiness led them to separate themselves as a sect, considering themselves as more righteous than other Jews.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI