rural dean

noun

a cleric ranking just below an archdeacon, in charge of an archdeaconry.

Origin of rural dean

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

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

British Dictionary definitions for rural dean

rural dean

noun

mainly British a clergyman having authority over a group of parishes

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