altar boy

American  

noun

• altar boys
  plural

1. a male altar server.

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altar boy British  

noun

1. RC Church Church of England a boy serving as an acolyte

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• altar boys
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of altar boy

First recorded in 1765–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

altar boy

A former altar boy, he grew up as one of seven children in Nairobi informal settlements, and his parents scraped together enough to send him to school and university, where he studied criminology.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

His first language was Spanish, while my excuse is that I was an altar boy, well-trained by the same priest who celebrated my wedding years later.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

The church where Pope Leo XIV attended mass as a child and served as an altar boy is now an empty shell.

From BBC ● May 8, 2025

During the last three years of grammar school, I was regularly asked to ‘serve’ as an altar boy.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

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