deaconess

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English dekenesse; equivalent to deacon +‎ -ess.

Pronunciation

Noun

deaconess (plural deaconesses)

  1. (Christianity) A non-clerical role for women in in some churches.
  2. (Christianity, rare) A female deacon.
  3. A female servant in the early Christian church.
  4. The nun in charge of the altar in a convent.
  5. One of an order of women in some Protestant churches who nurse the sick and tend the poor.

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Translations

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