deaconess

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English dekenesse; equivalent to deacon +‎ -ess.

Pronunciation

Noun

deaconess (plural deaconesses)

  1. A female deacon (Anglican).
  2. A female servant in the early Christian church.
  3. The nun in charge of the altar in a convent.
  4. One of an order of women in some Protestant churches who nurse the sick and tend the poor.

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Translations

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