The nickname possibly originally denoted a particularly amorous person, or perhaps one filled with religious ardor.

For his part, Mr. Richards may be soft-spoken and benignly professorial in manner, but he expresses his admiration and love for playwrights with an almost religious ardor.

While Frex is busy cranking up the religious ardor of Rush Margins sluggards, would he be interested in knowing what his wife is up to with Turtle Heart?

The band may be trying to imitate the directness of soul songwriting, where "love" bridges gospel's religious ardor and secular music's earthly passions, but the result is a virtual self-parody.

Mr. Keitel speaks with a religious ardor about acting.

With the cross at the Manduyog now overlooking at Banga, the religious ardor and feeling of pride surged in every Banganhon's heart.

Thorway himself was not incapable of enthusiasm when the occasion seemed to warrant it; but this well-nigh religious ardor was beyond his comprehension.

And the three Messiaen songs Ms. Upshaw chose, infused with the composer's religious ardor, were also partly conceived as love songs to his wife.

Their religious ardor made them automatically suspect, and he did not find their argument that the lack of a formal peace treaty required them to continue to build up their defenses convincing.

Michelangelo's unrequited religious ardor is interleaved with a reflection on his work, including hammer and chisel blows re-enacted by violent keyboard chords; various love poems; and a tribute to Dante.