Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A church official, as in the Anglican Church, who is in charge of temporal and other affairs in a diocese, with powers delegated from the bishop.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A chief deacon; strictly, an ecclesiastic who has charge of the temporal and external administration of a diocese, with jurisdiction delegated from the bishop.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun In England, an ecclesiastical dignitary, next in rank below a bishop, whom he assists, and by whom he is appointed, though with independent authority.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun In the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox systems, a senior administrative official in a
diocese , just under thebishop , often in charge of anarchdeaconry . As a title, it can be filled by either a deacon or priest.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun (Anglican Church) an ecclesiastical dignitary usually ranking just below a bishop
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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This remarkable transformation, no doubt in some degree inevitable, was actually brought about chiefly through the instrumentality of a single man, a certain English archdeacon of Welsh descent, Geoffrey of Monmouth.
A History of English Literature Robert Huntington Fletcher
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Then he called his archdeacon and demanded him if he heard anything, and he said: Nay.
The Golden Legend, vol. 6 1230-1298 1900
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A poor gentleman, a certain archdeacon, arrived here a few days ago, to fill the English chaplaincy at this place for five weeks, and I really am concerned for the worthy gentleman, who yesterday read the prayers admirably, and preached an excellent sermon to his wife and two children, myself and my two servants – a large congregation, which will be half as large next Sunday, when I shall not be here.
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There was one whom they called archdeacon, and another whom they called bishop, and the Pope was asked to allow them to wear mitres like canons, for this chapel was the chapel, and this castle one of the castles of Gilles de Laval, lord of Rouci, of Montmorency, of
Over Strand and Field Gustave Flaubert 1850
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Mrs Proudie in truth believed that the archdeacon was an actual emanation from Satan, sent to those parts to devour souls — as she would call it — and that she herself was an emanation of another sort, sent from another source expressly to Barchester, to prevent such devouring, as far as it might possibly be prevented by a mortal agency.
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The archdeacon was a sound friend; but he was also a sound enemy.
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As they were leaving the room Mr Harding called the archdeacon back, and taking him by the hand, spoke one word to him in a whisper.
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Ullathorne, and, with the exception of a single chaplain, who pretended to carve, Dr Tempest and the archdeacon were the only clerical guests at the table.
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The bishop rose to greet him with special civility, smiling his very sweetest smile on him, as though of all his clergy the archdeacon were the favourite; but Mrs Proudie wore something of a gloomy aspect, as though she knew that such a visit at such an hour must have reference to some special business.
Framley Parsonage 2004
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Churchwoman, and the archdeacon was the very type of that branch of the Church which she venerated.
Framley Parsonage 2004
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