Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

deacon

dea.con \'de--k*n\ n [ME dekene, fr. OE de-acon, fr. LL diaconus, fr. Gk 
   dia]konos, lit., servant, fr. dia- + -konos (akin to enkonein to be active) 
   : a subordinate officer in a Christian church : as  : a Roman Catholic 
   cleric in the second of the major orders  : an ordained Anglican candidate 
   for the priesthood  : one of the laymen elected by a church with 
   congregational polity to ser ve in worship, in pastoral care, and on 
   administrative committees : a Mormon in the lowest grade of the Aaronic 
   priesthood