visitation
/ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən/noun
1
- an official or formal visit, in particular正式访问, 尤指：
1.1
- (in Church use) an official visit of inspection, especially one by a bishop to a church in his diocese（教会用语）正式视察（尤指主教对管区教堂的视察）。
1.2
- a pastoral or charitable visit, especially to the sick or poor（尤指对患病或贫困者精神开导或物质援助的）慰问, 探望。
1.3
- the appearance of a divine or supernatural being（神或超自然体的）下凡; 显现。
1.4
- informal an unwelcome or unduly protracted social visit〈非正式〉不受欢迎的来访; 过长的来访。
1.5
- US a gathering with the family of a deceased person before the funeral〈美〉（与死者家属一起的）葬礼前守夜。
1.6
- mass noun US Law a divorced person's right to spend time with their children in the custody of a former spouse【美律】（离异者对前配偶监护孩子的）探视权。
2
- a disaster or difficulty regarded as a divine punishment天罚：
a visitation of the plague.
瘟疫的天罚。
3
the Visitation
the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth related in Luke 1:39-56圣母往见（《路加福音》[1:39-56] 所述圣母玛利亚对伊丽莎白的看望）。
3.1
- the festival commemorating this on 31 May (formerly 2 July)圣母往见日（5月31日, 原为7月2日）。
词源
Middle English: from Old French， or from late Latin visitatio（n-）， from the verb visitare （see VISIT）.