verger

English

Alternative forms

• virger

Etymology

From verge (“rod”) +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɜːd͡ʒə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvɝd͡ʒɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)dʒə(ɹ)
• Homophone: verdure (one pronunciation)
• Hyphenation: verger

Noun

verger (plural vergers)

1. One who carries a verge, or emblem of office.
2. (chiefly British, Christianity) A lay person who takes care of the interior of a church and acts as an attendant during services, where he or she carries the verge (or virge). In the United States, the office is generally combined with that of sexton.
   • 1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, “Litle Dorrit’s Party”, in Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC, book the first (Poverty), page 128:

     "We have often seen each other," said Little Dorrit, recognising the sexton, or the beadle, or the verger, or whatever he was, "when I have been at church here."

   • 1942, Emily Carr, “The Blessing”, in The Book of Small:

     As soon as we were all in the night the verger rolled shut the doors and blotted out the chandeliers.

3. (chiefly British, Christianity) An usher; also, in major ecclesiastical landmarks, a tour guide.
4. (British) An attendant upon a dignitary, such as a bishop or dean, a justice, etc.
   • 1725, John Strype, Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England, during Queen Elizabeth’s Happy Reign‎^[1], Oxford: Clarendon, published 1824, Vol. I, Part I, Chapter 23, p. 408:

     When she came to her place she opened the book, and perused it, and saw the pictures, but frowned and blushed; and then shut it, (of which several took notice,) and calling the verger, bade him bring her the old book, wherein she was formerly wont to read.

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *virdiārium, syncopated form of Latin viridiārium, variant of viridārium, from viridis (“green”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [bərˈʒe]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [vərˈʒe]
• IPA^(key): (Valencian) [veɾˈd͡ʒeɾ]

Noun

verger m (plural vergers)

1. orchard
2. house garden

   Synonym: jardí

Hypernyms

• (orchard): hort

Related terms

• verd

Further reading

• “verger” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French vergier, from Old French vergier, from Vulgar Latin *virdiariu, syncopated form of Latin viridiārium, variant of viridārium, from viridis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɛʁ.ʒe/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

verger m (plural vergers)

1. orchard

Related terms

• vert

Further reading

• “verger”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.