verger

English

Alternative forms

• virger

Etymology

From verge (“rod”) +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)dʒə(ɹ)

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:^[1]

     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, Oxford: Clarendon, 1824, Vol. I, Part I, Chapter 23, p. 408,^[2]

     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.

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French

Etymology

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.