SIM'ONY, noun [from Simon Magus, who wished to purchase the power of conferring the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:1] The crime of buying or selling ecclesiastical preferment; or the corrupt presentation of any one to an ecclesiastical benefice of money or reward. By Stat. 31 Elizabeth, c. 6. severe penalties are enacted against this crime. SIMOOM', noun A hot suffocating wind, that blows occasionally in Africa and Arabia, generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or sandy plains. Its approach is indicated by a redness in the air, and its fatal effects are to be avoided by falling on the face and holding the breath.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI