verger
/ˈvəːdʒə
/noun
1An official in a church who acts as a caretaker and attendant.A city centre church verger has the power to summon scores of police and dozens of security guards at the touch of a button....
- Mr Angus had joined the Minster staff in October 1980 as part of a team of vergers who help with the day-to-day running of the cathedral.
- A verger accidentally locked up without realising that Mr Poole, a former chief general manager with the Norwich Building Society, was still inside.
2An officer who carries a rod before a bishop or dean as a symbol of office.I was the last verger of the Garrison Church and took part in the final service....
- Church officials gave more details yesterday about a popular verger who plunged more than 100 ft to his death from York Minster on Sunday.
- Only the old verger allows himself no rest, and still rings the service in and out.
Derivatives
vergership
- The family of Hutter ran the vergership in Kaplièky from 1854 to 1946.
- The first break in this run was made, when, during a change in vergership, a bath and hot water geyser were added to the School House.
Origin
Middle English (in sense 2): from Anglo-Norman French (see verge2).
Rhymes
- discectomy
- disc electrometer
- disc emulator
- disc engine
- disceptation
- discern
- discernableness
- discernably
- discerner
- discernible
- discernibleness
- discernibly
- discerning
- discerningly
- discernment
- discerp
- discerpible
- discerpted
- discerptibility
- discerptible
- discerption
- discerptive
- discerptor
- disc file
- disc floret