Churchwarden

noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A lay officer of the Church of England who handles the secular affairs of the parish. UK

    "At first, not knowing any better, I used sometimes to copy a nude on the pavement. The first I did was outside St Martin's-in-the-Fields church. A fellow in black—I suppose he was a churchwarden or something—came out in a tearing rage."

  2. 2
    an officer in the Episcopal church who helps a parish priest with secular matters wordnet
  3. 3
    A similar functionary of the Episcopal church. US
  4. 4
    Ellipsis of churchwarden pipe. British, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, slang

    "In one part of Cockaigne an amalgamation of these two last has lately taken place; and the pleasure experienced by the parishioners of Walbrook is unbounded when smoking an alderman and churchwarden."

Etymology

From Middle English cherchewardeyn, chirchewardeyn, churchewardeyn, schyrsche wordeyn; equivalent to church + warden.

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