priest

priest

See also: Priest

English

Etymology

From Middle English prest, preest, from Old English prēost (“priest”), from Late Latin presbyter, from Ancient Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbúteros), from πρέσβυς (présbus, “elder, older”). Reinforced in Middle English by Old French prestre, also from Latin presbyter. Doublet of presbyter and prester.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɹiːst/, [ˈpɹ̥iːst]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Audio (UK):(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːst

Noun

priest (plural priests)

  1. A religious clergyman (clergywoman, clergyperson) who is trained to perform services or sacrifices at a church or temple.
    Hypernym: cleric
    The priest at the Catholic church heard his confession.
    The Shinto priest burnt incense for his ancestors.
    The Israelite priests were descended from Moses' brother Aaron.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.
    • 1999, Robert Lacey, Danny Danziger, The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of The First Millennium, London: Abacus, published 2000, page 169:
      The church was tighening up on matters sexual. Until the middle of the tenth century it had been quite routine for priests to be married.
  3. A blunt tool, used for quickly stunning and killing fish.
    • 1983, Keri Hulme, The Bone People, Penguin, published 1986, page 212:
      They flop and struggle, but she unhooks them swiftly, stunning them with a small brass priest.
  4. (Mormonism) The highest office in the Aaronic priesthood.

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

priest (third-person singular simple present priests, present participle priesting, simple past and past participle priested)

  1. (transitive) To ordain as a priest.
    • 1610, Alexander Cooke, Pope Joane, in William Oldys, editor, The Harleian Miscellany: or, A Collection of Scarce, Curious, and Entertaining Pamphlets and Tracts, as well in Manuscript as in Print, Found in the Late Earl of Oxford's Library: Interspersed with Historical, Political, and Critical Notes: With a Table of the Contents, and an Alphabetical Index, volume IV, London: Printed for T[homas] Osborne, in Gray's-Inn, 1744, OCLC 5325177; republished as John Maltham, editor, The Harleian Miscellany; or, A Collection of Scarce, Curious, and Entertaining Pamphlets and Tracts, as well in Manuscript as in Print, Found in the Late Earl of Oxford's Library, Interspersed with Historical, Political, and Critical Notes, volume IV, London: Printed for R. Dutton, 1808–1811, OCLC 30776079, page 95:
      If there bee any lasie fellow, any that cannot away with worke, any that would wallow in pleasures, hee is hastie to be priested. And when hee is made one, and has gotten a benefice, he consorts with his neighbour priests, who are altogether given to pleasures; and then both hee, and they, live, not like Christians, but like epicures; drinking, eating, feasting, and revelling, till the cow come home, as the saying is.
    • 1869, George Bennett, The History of Bandon, Francis Guy, page 518:
      He was deaconed on the 23rd May, and priested on the 29th September, 1624, by John, Bishop of Sodar and Man.
    • 1992, Allan Davidson, Donald D. Hook, “New Zealand's Prayer Book”, in Anglican and Episcopal History, 61.3, pages 247-251:
      Chapman was a lay missionary and was not deaconed until 1844 and priested in 1852.
    • 2013, Gregory K. Cameron, “Locating the Anglican Communion in the History of Anglicanism”, in The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to the Anglican Communion, page 3:
      Thus, Samuel Seabury... was deaconed by the Bishop of Lincoln and priested by the Bishop of Carlisle.

See also

References

Anagrams

German

Verb

priest

  1. second-person singular/plural preterite of preisen

Middle English

Noun

priest

  1. (Late Middle English) alternative form of prest (“priest”)
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