lay reader
Americannoun
noun
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Church of England a person licensed by a bishop to conduct religious services other than the Eucharist
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RC Church a layman chosen from among the congregation to read the epistle at Mass and sometimes other prayers
Etymology
Origin of lay reader
First recorded in 1745–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s telling that while Mr. Deakins takes pains to praise his longtime gaffer, key grip, dolly grip, best boy and more, he never bothers to define those roles for the lay reader.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
Joy Gambardella, a lay reader at the city’s Emmanuel Church, said Al Swealmeen had been a “committed Christian”.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 17, 2021
A lay reader might not need the discourse on the proper naming of geologic epochs, but overall, it’s an excellent grounding in how fire functions, how we think about it and why that matters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2021
It demands of the lay reader an ability to compartmentalize that may be difficult for some to maintain.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2020
All this may appear to the lay reader rather obscure, but could not well be passed over.
From My Autobiography A Fragment by Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
