Adjacent Words

Presbyter definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRES'BYTER, n. [Gr. old, elder.]
1. In the primitive christian church, an elder; a person somewhat advanced in age, who had authority in the church, and whose duty was to feed the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made him overseer.
2. A priest; a person who has the pastoral charge of a particular church and congregation; called in the Saxon laws, mass-priest.
3. A presbyterian.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an elder in the Presbyterian Church

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Late Latin, elder, priest, from Greek presbyteros, comparative of presbys old man, elder; akin to Greek pro before and Greek bainein to go — more at for, come Date: 1597 1. a member of the governing body of an early Christian church 2. a member of the order of priests in churches having episcopal hierarchies that include bishops, priests, and deacons 3. elder 4b • presbyterate noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 an elder in the early Christian Church. 2 (in the Episcopal Church) a minister of the second order; a priest. 3 (in the Presbyterian Church) an elder. Derivatives: presbyteral adj. presbyterate n. presbyterial adj. presbytership n. Etymology: eccl.L f. Gk presbuteros elder, compar. of presbus old

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Presbyter Pres"by*ter, n. [L. an elder, fr. Gr. ?. See Priest.] 1. An elder in the early Christian church. See 2d Citation under Bishop, n., 1. 2. (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis. Ch.) One ordained to the second order in the ministry; -- called also priest. I rather term the one sort presbyter than priest. --Hooker. New presbyter is but old priest writ large. --Milton. 3. (Presbyterian Ch.) A member of a presbytery whether lay or clerical. 4. A Presbyterian. [Obs.] --Hudibras.