WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Vat"i*can
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [L. Vaticanus, mons, or collis, Vaticanus, the Vatican hill, in Rome, on the western bank of the Tiber: cf. F. Vatican, It. Vaticano.]
Definition : Defn: A magnificent assemblage of buildings at Rome, near the church of St. Peter, including the pope's palace, a museum, a library, a famous chapel, etc.

Note: The word is often used to indicate the papal authority. Thunders of the Vatican, the anathemas, or denunciations, of the pope.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913