lay brother

American  

noun

1. a man who has taken religious vows and habit but is employed by his order chiefly in manual labor.

---

lay brother British  

noun

1. a man who has taken the vows of a religious order but is not ordained and not bound to divine office

---

Etymology

Origin of lay brother

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lay brother

“The most vulnerable are always an easy target, even if they are under our sanctuary,” said Jun Santiago, a lay brother of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer and a member of Rise Up.

From New York Times ● Jun. 4, 2017

After Serenelli's release from prison, he became a lay brother in a monastery.

From Reuters ● Oct. 14, 2015

“MEETING them where they are” is a mantra among St. Boniface’s five priests and a lay brother, who make it a point to invite new faces to monthly home-cooked lunches in the rectory.

From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2012

Yet today he wears the white tunic and black scapular of a Roman Catholic Dominican lay brother.

From Time Magazine Archive

A thin, smooth-shaven lay brother in black and white frock was slowly sweeping the choir behind the high altar.

From Cecilia A Story of Modern Rome by Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)