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churchwarden

[church-wawr-dn]
noun
  1. Anglican Church. a lay officer who looks after the secular affairs of the church, and who, in England, is the legal representative of the parish.
  2. Episcopal Church. a lay church officer who, with other members of the vestry, is in charge of the temporal management of the parish.
  3. a long-stemmed clay pipe for smoking.

Origin of churchwarden

1400–50; late Middle English chirche wardeyn
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for churchwarden

Historical Examples of churchwarden

  • To me (I know how absurd it is) he looked like a churchwarden.

    The Shadow-Line

    Joseph Conrad

  • No, all was safe, but her excuse had not deceived the churchwarden.

    The Nebuly Coat

    John Meade Falkner

  • The Churchwarden examined the map carefully, while the others all looked at him.

  • "Never knew my Odour of Sanctity to fail once," said the Churchwarden, coolly.

  • All the others sat around the Churchwarden, as close as they could huddle.

British Dictionary definitions for churchwarden

churchwarden

noun
  1. Church of England Episcopal Church one of two assistants of a parish priest who administer the secular affairs of the church
  2. a long-stemmed tobacco pipe made of clay
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012