ostiary

American

[os-tee-er-ee] / ˈɒs tiˌɛr i /

noun

plural

ostiaries

Also called doorkeeper, porter. Roman Catholic Church.
1. a member of the lowest-ranking of the four minor orders.
2. the order itself.
a doorkeeper, as of a church.

ostiary British

/ ˈɒstɪərɪ /

noun

RC Church another word for porter 2

"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

Etymology

Origin of ostiary

1400–50; late Middle English hostiary < Latin ōstiārius doorkeeper, equivalent to ōsti ( um ) door, entrance ( ostium ) + -ārius -ary

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.

Ostiary, os′ti-ar-i, n. the doorkeeper of a church.

From Project Gutenberg

In the decline of his popularity he permitted his door-keeper, whom he dignifies with the title of Ostiary, to take a shilling!

From Project Gutenberg

Associated words: lintel, jamb, sill, threshold, stile, panel, rail, mullion, porte-cochère, reveal, rabbet, casing. doorkeeper, n. porter, concierge, ostiary; tyler. doorsill, n. threshold. dormancy, n. abeyance, quiescence, inactivity, torpor, lethargy, inertness. dormant, a. quiescent, latent, inert, inactive, abeyant, torpid. dose, n. draught, dram, potion.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023