Visitation
n
a the visit made by the Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:39--56)
b the Church festival commemorating this, held on July 2
2 a religious order of nuns, the Order of the Visitation, founded in 1610 by St Francis of Sales and dedicated to contemplation and the cultivation of humility, gentleness, and sisterly love
visitation
n
1 an official call or visit for the purpose of inspecting or examining an institution, esp. such a visit made by a bishop to his diocese
2 a visiting of punishment or reward from heaven
3 any disaster or catastrophe
a visitation of the plague
4 an appearance or arrival of a supernatural being
6 Informal an unduly prolonged social call
♦
visitational adj