| 释义 |
acolyte|ˈækəlaɪt|
Forms: 3–6 acolyt, 4 acolite, 6 acoluth(e, 6–9 acolyth(e, 8–9 acolyte.
[ad. med.L. acolitus, acolithus, acolythus, corrupt forms of acolūthus a. Gr. ἀκόλουθος following, attending upon, subst. an attendant. The normal form is acoluth, as written by some of the 16th c. scholars. Occ. aphetized to colet, and expanded to acolythist, acolouthite.]
1. Eccl. An inferior officer in the church who attended the priests and deacons, and performed subordinate duties, as lighting and bearing candles, etc.
c1000ælfric Past. Ep. in Anc. Laws II. 378 Acolitus is se þe leoht berð æt Godes þenungum. c1315Shoreham 45 The ferthe [degree in orders] acolyt hys to segge y-wys Tapres to bere wel worthe. 1382Wyclif Coloss. Prol., Therfore the apostle, thennis boundyn, writith to hem fro Effecie bi Tyte, a dekene, and Honesym, acolite. 1460J. Capgrave Chron. 74 He that schuld be mad a Bischop schuld first be a benet..and then a colet; and then subdiacone, diacone, and prest. 1555Fardle of Facions ii. xii. 267 The Acholite, whiche we calle Benet or Cholet, occupieth the roume of Candle-bearer. 1561T. N[orton] Calvin's Inst. (1634) iv. 155 They play y⊇ Philosophers about y⊇ name of Acoluth, calling him a Ceroferar, a taper bearer with a worde..wheras Acoluthos in Greke simply signifieth a folower. 1588A. King Canisius' Catech. 109 Gif ony man deseruis to be ane Bishope lat him first be ostiar, secundlie lecteur, nixt ane Exorcist, efter ane Acolyt. 1594Hooker Eccl. Pol. vii. xx. Wks. III. 347 The bishops attendants, his followers they were; in regard of which service the name of Acolythes seemeth plainly to have been given. 1637Gillespie Eng. Popish Cerem. iii. viii. 161 Exorcists, Monkes, Eremits, Acoluths, and all the whole rabble of Popish orders. 1649Selden Laws of Eng. i. x. (1739) 18 Acolites, which waited with the Taper ready lighted. 1824Southey Bk. of the Ch. I. 353 The candlestick, taper and urceole were taken from him as acolyte. 1849W. Fitzgerald tr. Whitaker's Disput. 505 The apostolic canons..name only five orders,—the bishop, priest, deacon, reader, and chanter, omitting the exorcist, porter, and acolyth. 1855tr. Labarte's Arts Mid. Ages & Renaiss. i. 15 Two acolythes carried the candlesticks. 1873W. H. Dixon Two Queens I. vi. x. 369 At every porch a priest came out with acolyte and choir.
2. In other senses:
a. An attendant or junior assistant in any ceremony or operation; a novice.
1829Scott Demonol. vii. 213 Nor are such acolytes found to evade justice with less dexterity than the more advanced rogues. 1831― Kenilw. xxxii. (1853) 296 To awaken the bounty of the acolytes of chivalry. 1865Dickens Mut. Fr. i. 137 It was the function of the acolyte to dart at sleeping infants.
b. An attendant insect or other animal.
1876Beneden An. Paras. 4 Species at the mercy of others, and dependent on acolytes, which are in every respect inferior to themselves.
c. An attendant star.
1876Chambers Astron. 910 Acolyte..sometimes used to designate the smaller of two stars placed in close contiguity. |