Definition of "deacon" []

• A cleric ranking just below a priest in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches. (noun)
• A Protestant layperson who assists the minister in various functions. (noun)
• Used as a title prefixed to the surname of such a person: Deacon Brown. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "While the word deacon is Greek for minister, and to minister is to serve, the word is otherwise translated as "deacon" or "minister" when it refers to men."
• "The young deacon is question has a donor who will provide funds for the purchase -- price dependent it goes without saying."
• "As he returns from the sacristy, the deacon is preceded by two acolytes, and accompanied by two others carrying lighted candles."