CONSOLATION, in. general the soothing of disappointment or grief. In the sense of compensation f or loss the word "consola tion" has had a variety of adaptations; consolatio was the name for the evening meal given to monks after a regular collation "by way of consolation," and to certain payments made to mem bers of chapters over and above the revenues of their benefices. In an analogous sense we use the word in such combinations as "consolation prize," "consolation race," "consolation stakes," meaning such as are open only to competitors who have not won in any preceding "event."