deacon
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old English diacon, from ecclesiastical Latin diaconus, from Ancient Greek διάκονος (diākonos), “‘servant, minister’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
deacon (plural deacons)
- (Church history) A designated minister of charity in the early Church (see Acts 6:1-6).
- (Roman Catholicism) A clergyman ranked directly below a priest, with duties of helping the priests and carrying out parish work.
- (Protestantism) A lay leader of a congregation who assists the pastor.
- (freemasonry) A junior Lodge officer.
- (Mormonism) The lowest office in the Aaronic priesthood, generally held by 12 or 13 year old boys or recent converts.
- (US, animal husbandry) A male calf of a dairy breed, so called because they are usually deaconed (see below).
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
A designated minister of charity in the early Church
A clergyman ranked directly below a priest
lay leader of a Protestant congregation
A junior Lodge officer
[edit] See also
[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to deacon (third-person singular simple present deacons, present participle deaconing, simple past and past participle deaconed)
- (Christianity, music) For a choir leader to lead a hymn by speaking one or two lines at a time, which are then sung by the choir.
- (US, animal husbandry) To kill a calf shortly after birth.
- (US) To place fresh fruit at the top of a barrel or other container, with spoiled or imperfect fruit hidden beneath.
- 1902, George Horace Lorimer, Old Gorgon Graham[1]:
- It's like buying a barrel of apples that's been deaconed — after you've found that the deeper you go the meaner and wormier the fruit, you forget all about the layer of big, rosy, wax-finished pippins that was on top.
- 1902, George Horace Lorimer, Old Gorgon Graham[1]:
