altar boy

noun

1. a male altar server.

altar boy

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of altar boy¹

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

Scorsese grew up in New York’s Little Italy as a Catholic altar boy and aspiring priest who was also fascinated by the mafiosos that loomed large in his community.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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

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When her father numbs his pain with his wife’s prescription and sadly croons a song from when he was an altar boy, Piper can only roll her eyes and excuse herself from the room.

Read more on Salon

Feeling the full weight of his situation, the former altar boy scrawls a short letter to his family — “I’m so sorry. I love you all.” — just before raising the handgun to his temple.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This was Rivers unplugged, foul-mouthed in a way that made me feel like a squeamish altar boy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times