Dictionary

deacon en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• dē'k(ə)n
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈdiːkən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English deken, dekne, from Old English diacon, from Ecclesiastical Latin diāconus, from Ancient Greek διᾱ́κονος (diā́konos, “servant, minister”).

Meanings

1. (qualifier:early Christianity) A designated minister of charity in the early Church (see Acts 6:1-6).
2. (broadly, qualifier:Eastern Orthodoxy; Oriental Orthodoxy; Church of the East; Eastern Orthodoxy; Oriental Orthodoxy; Church of the East) A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination. ▸ A clergyman ranked directly below a priest, with duties of helping the priests and carrying out parish work.
3. (broadly, qualifier:Anglicanism) A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination. ▸ An ordained clergyperson usually serving a year prior to being ordained presbyter, though in some cases they remain a permanent deacon.
4. (broadly, qualifier:Evangelicalism) A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination. ▸ A lay leader of a congregation who assists the pastor.
5. (broadly, qualifier:Methodism) A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination. ▸ A separate office from that of minister, neither leading to the other; instead there is a permanent deaconate.
6. (broadly) A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination. ▸ A junior lodge officer.
7. (Mormonism, broadly) A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination. ▸ The lowest office in the Aaronic priesthood, generally held by 12 or 13 year old boys or recent converts.
8. (US, qualifier:animal husbandry) A male calf of a dairy breed, so called because they are usually deaconed (see below).
9. (Scotland) The chairman of an incorporated company.

Forms

Coordinates

deaconess · abbé (various religious senses) · canon (various religious senses)

Deriveds

archdeacon · deaconize · deaconate · deaconess · protodeacon · deaconship · deaconry · deaconhood · deaconly · deaconal · subdeacon · deaconise · deacon-seat · underdeacon · hierodeacon

Hypernyms

cleric (various religious senses)

Hyponyms

permanent deacon · transitional deacon

Relateds

diaconal · diaconate

Translations (117)

be дыя́кан (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · la diāconus (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · mi rīkona (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · mk ѓа́кон (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · ru диа́кон (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · cs diákon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · cmn 輔祭 /辅祭 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · eo diakono (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · pt diácono (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · nb diakon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · cmn 助祭 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · nrf diacre (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ca diaca (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · sw dikoni (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · id diaken (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · ko 보제 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · af diaken (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · is djákni (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · grc διάκονος (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · zlw-osk jáhen (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · pt diácono (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · xcl սարկաւագ (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · ko 집사 (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · mt djaknu (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · fi diakoni (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · chr ᎠᏯᏙᎯᎯ (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · vi chấp sự (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ru диа́кон (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · ar شَمَّاس (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ro diacon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ru дья́кон (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · ko 부제 (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · it diacono (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · sk diakon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · fi diakoni (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · la diāconus (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ru дья́кон (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · es diácono (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · fi diakoni (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · got 𐌳𐌹𐌰𐌺𐌰𐌿𐌽𐌿𐍃 (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · vi phó tế (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · vi thầy sáu (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · id diaken (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ja 執事 (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · id diakon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · fr diacre (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · uk дия́кон (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · ko 부제 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · da diakon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · fr diacre (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · yue 執事 /执事 (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · scn jàcunu (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · mt djaknu (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ro diacon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · cmn 執事 /执事 (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · nn diakon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · sv diakon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · id diakon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · hi सेवक (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · fa شماس (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · pl diakon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · nb diakon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · mt djakunu (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · nrf diacre (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · ca diaca (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ko 보제 (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · sw shemasi (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · nrf diacre (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · cmn 執事 /执事 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · nl diaken (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · hy սարկավագ (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · it diacono (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · de Diakonin (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · cmn 執事牧師 /执事牧师 (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · vi phó tế (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · nl diaken (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · tr diyakoz (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · bg дя́кон (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · nl diaken (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · fr diacre (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · da diakon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · xcl սարկաւագ (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · id diaken (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · ja 執事 (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · vi chấp sự (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · el διάκονος (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · eo diakono (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · hu diakónus (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · sv diakon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · syc ܫܡܫܐ (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · it diacono (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · hi उपयाजक (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · th สังฆานุกร (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · mt djakunu (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · de Diakon (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · ja 輔祭 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · mi rīkona (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · ga deagánach (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · uk дяк (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · vi trợ tế (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · mi rīkona (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · mk ѓа́кон (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · es diácono (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · de Diakon (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · tl diyakono (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · bg дя́кон (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · de Diakon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · cmn 執事 /执事 (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · ja 助祭 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · nn diakon (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · pt diácono (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · ca diaca (designated minister of charity in the early Church) · ro diacon (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · pdt Eltesta (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · fr diaconesse (lay leader of a Protestant congregation) · cs jáhen (clergyman ranked directly below a priest) · ja 執事 (clergyman ranked directly below a priest)

deacon en · VERB

Pronunciation

• dē'k(ə)n
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈdiːkən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English deken, dekne, from Old English diacon, from Ecclesiastical Latin diāconus, from Ancient Greek διᾱ́κονος (diā́konos, “servant, minister”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To ordain to the diaconate.
   • Chapman was a lay missionary and was not deaconed until 1844 and priested in 1852. 1992, Allan Davidson, Donald D. Hook, “New Zealand's Prayer Book”, in Anglican and Episcopal History, 61.3, pages 247-251:
   • Thus, Samuel Seabury... was deaconed by the Bishop of Lincoln and priested by the Bishop of Carlisle. 2013, Gregory K. Cameron, “Locating the Anglican Communion in the History of Anglicanism”, in The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to the Anglican Communion, page 3:
   • He was deaconed on the 23rd May, and priested on the 29th September, 1624, by John, Bishop of Sodar and Man. 1869, George Bennett, The History of Bandon, and the Principal Towns in the West Riding of County Cork, Francis Guy, page 518
2. For a choir leader to lead a hymn by speaking one or two lines at a time, which are then sung by the choir.
3. (US, qualifier:animal husbandry) To kill a calf shortly after birth.
4. (US, slang) To place fresh fruit at the top of a barrel or other container, with spoiled or imperfect fruit hidden beneath.
   • It's like buying a barrel of apples that's been deaconed — after you've found that the deeper you go the meaner and wormier the fruit, you forget all about the layer of big, rosy, wax-finished pippins that was on top. 1902, George Horace Lorimer, Old Gorgon Graham:
   • The blanc mange was lumpy, and the strawberries not as ripe as they looked, having been skilfully 'deaconed'. 1868, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women:
5. (US, slang) To make sly alterations to the boundaries of (land); to adulterate or doctor (an article to be sold), etc.

Forms