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acolyte

 - 4 dictionary results

ac⋅o⋅lyte

  [ak-uh-lahyt]
Use acolyte in a Sentence
–noun
1. an altar attendant in public worship.
2. Roman Catholic Church.
a. a member of the highest-ranking of the four minor orders.
b. the order itself. Compare exorcist (def. 2), lector (def. 2), ostiary (def. 1).
3. any attendant, assistant, or follower.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME acolite < ML acolytus < Gk akólouthos follower, attendant, equiv. to a- prefix denoting association + -kolouthos, var. of kéleuthos road, journey
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ac·o·lyte   (āk'ə-līt')   
n.  

  1. One who assists the celebrant in the performance of liturgical rites.

  2. A devoted follower or attendant.


[Middle English acolit, from Old French, from Medieval Latin acolytus, from Greek akolouthos, attendant; see anacoluthon.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

acolyte 
c.1315, "inferior officer in the church," from M.L. acolytus, from Gk. akolouthos "following, attending on," lit. "having one way," from a- copulative prefix + keleuthose "a way," from PIE *qeleu- (cf. Lith. kelias "way").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

acolyte

(from Greek akolouthos, "server," "companion," or "follower"), in the Roman Catholic church, a person is installed in a ministry in order to assist the deacon and priest in liturgical celebrations, especially the eucharistic liturgy. The first probable reference to the office dates from the time of Pope Victor I (189-199), and it was mentioned frequently in Roman documents after the 4th century. Acolytes also existed in North Africa but were unknown outside Rome and North Africa until the 10th century, when they were introduced throughout the Western Church. The Council of Trent (1545-63) defined the order and hoped to reactivate it on the pastoral level, but it became only a preparatory rite, or minor order, leading to the priesthood. A directive of Pope Paul VI (effective Jan. 1, 1973) decreed that the office of acolyte should no longer be called a minor order but a ministry and that it should be open to laymen.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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