deaconess
[ dee-kuh-nis ]
/ ˈdi kə nɪs /
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noun
(in certain Protestant churches) a woman belonging to an order or sisterhood dedicated to the care of the sick or poor or who is engaging in other social-service duties, as teaching or missionary work.
a woman elected by a church to assist the clergy.
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Origin of deaconess
usage note for deaconess
See -ess.
Words nearby deaconess
deaccelerate, deaccession, deacetylate, deacidify, deacon, deaconess, deaconry, deacon seat, de-acquisition, deactivate, deacylase
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for deaconess
British Dictionary definitions for deaconess
deaconess
/ (ˈdiːkənɪs) /
noun
Christianity (in the early church and in some modern Churches) a female member of the laity with duties similar to those of a deacon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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