Deaconess
noun
noun ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A non-clerical role for women in some churches.
- 2 a woman deacon wordnet
- 3 A female deacon. rare
- 4 A female servant in the early Christian church.
- 5 The nun in charge of the altar in a convent.
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- 6 One of an order of women in some Protestant churches who nurse the sick and tend the poor.
Example
More examples"Pre-eclampsia can develop suddenly, usually in the second half of a woman's pregnancy. The condition can lead to a more serious disease called eclampsia that can cause convulsions in pregnant women and result in death of both the mother and child. Researchers at Harvard University and Beth Deaconess Hospital in Boston have identified a marker or substance in the blood that appears to increase the risk of pre-eclampsia in women."
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English dekenesse; equivalent to deacon + -ess.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.