Parsons

[pahr-suh nz]

noun

Tal·cott

[tawl-kot, tal-] /ˈtɔl kɒt, ˈtæl-/, 1902–79, U.S. sociologist and author.

Theophilus,1750–1813, U.S. jurist.

William, Third Earl of Rosse,1800–67, Irish astronomer.

a town in SE Kansas.

parson

[pahr-suh n]

noun

a member of the clergy, especially a Protestant minister; pastor; rector.

the holder or incumbent of a parochial benefice, especially an Anglican.

Origin of parson

1200–50; Middle English persone < Medieval Latin persōna parish priest, Latin: personage. See person

Related formspar·son·ic

[pahr-son-ik] /pɑrˈsɒn ɪk/, par·son·i·cal, adjectivepar·son·i·cal·ly, adverbpar·son·ish, par·son·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for parsons

vicar, pastor, preacher, priest, chaplain, minister, rector, ecclesiastic, padre, reverend

Examples from the Web for parsons

Contemporary Examples of parsons

Working in tech, Parsons is a leader in a field not known for its welcoming attitude toward women.
What Happens to Women When Female Leaders Like Jill Abramson Get Fired?
Keli Goff
May 16, 2014
She teaches at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City.
The National Book Awards Longlist for Nonfiction
September 18, 2013
It's worth getting detailed estimates at several sites, Parsons said.
Apple's iPhone Trade-in Program to Add Consumer Choice
CNBC
August 29, 2013
The acting is top-notch, and Parsons has won a pair of Emmys for his turn as the witty, sarcastic Sheldon.
Is Life Without CBS Really So Bad for Time Warner Customers?
Marlow Stern
August 8, 2013
On Sunday evening, news broke that John Galliano would teach a 3-day master-class series at Parsons, The New School for Design.
Petition Filed Against John Galliano’s Parsons Class
Misty White Sidell
April 26, 2013

Historical Examples of parsons

Justice Parsons, of Gloucester, was a functionary of this sort.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VI (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
What would all you parsons do to clothe your backs and feed your bellies?
Joseph Andrews, Vol. 2
Henry Fielding
Lawyers and parsons and officials, that's the best Trinity can do!
Changing Winds
St. John G. Ervine
We philosophers are of some use now and then, even to Parsons!
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 2, May, 1851
Various
The steam turbine of Curtis or Parsons is today the prevailing engine.
The Age of Invention
Holland Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for parsons

Parsons

noun

Sir Charles Algernon . 1854–1931, English engineer, who developed the steam turbine

Gram, real name Cecil Connor. 1946–73 US country-rock singer and songwriter; founder of the Flying Burrito Brothers (1968–70), he later released the solo albums G.P. (1973) and Grievous Angel (1974)

Talcott. 1902–79, US sociologist, author of The Structure of Social Action (1937) and The Social System (1951)

parson

noun

a parish priest in the Church of England, formerly applied only to those who held ecclesiastical benefices

any clergyman

NZ a nonconformist minister

Derived Formsparsonic (pɑːˈsɒnɪk) or parsonical, adjective

Word Origin for parson

C13: from Medieval Latin persōna parish priest, representative of the parish, from Latin: personage; see person

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

Word Origin and History for parsons

parson

late 12c., from Anglo-French and Old French persone "curate, parson, holder of Church office" (12c.), from Medieval Latin persona "parson" (see person). Ecclesiastical use is obscure; it might refer to the "person" legally holding church property, or it may be an abbreviation of persona ecclesiae "person of the church."