Adjacent Words

Sexton definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SEX'TON, n. [contracted from sacristan, which see.] An under officer of the church, whose buiness is to take care of the vessels, vestments, etc. belonging to the church, to attend on the officiating clergyman and perform other duties pertaining to the church, to dig graves, etc.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: United States poet (1928-1974) [syn: Sexton, Anne Sexton]
2: an officer of the church who is in charge of sacred objects [syn: sexton, sacristan]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English secresteyn, sexteyn, from Anglo-French segrestein, from Medieval Latin sacristanus — more at sacristan Date: 14th century a church officer or employee who takes care of the church property and performs related minor duties (as ringing the bell for services and digging graves)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a person who looks after a church and churchyard, often acting as bell-ringer and gravedigger. Phrases and idioms: sexton beetle any beetle of the genus Necrophorus, burying carrion to serve as a nidus for its eggs. Etymology: ME segerstane etc., f. AF, OF segerstein, secrestein f. med.L sacristanus SACRISTAN

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sexton Sex"ton, n. [OE. sextein, contr. fr. sacristan.] An under officer of a church, whose business is to take care of the church building and the vessels, vestments, etc., belonging to the church, to attend on the officiating clergyman, and to perform other duties pertaining to the church, such as to dig graves, ring the bell, etc. Sexton beetle (Zo["o]l.), a burying beetle.

Moby Thesaurus

Bible clerk, Bible reader, acolyte, almoner, anagnost, beadle, bedral, capitular, capitulary, choir chaplain, churchwarden, clerk, deacon, deaconess, elder, elderman, embalmer, funeral director, gravedigger, lay elder, lay reader, lector, lecturer, mortician, parish clerk, precentor, reader, ruling elder, sacrist, sacristan, shames, sidesman, succentor, suisse, teaching elder, thurifer, undertaker, verger, vergeress