clerkdom

World English Dictionary

clerk (klɑːk, US, Canadian klɜːrk)

—n
1.	a worker, esp in an office, who keeps records, files, etc
2.	clerk to the justices (in England) a legally qualified person who sits in court with lay justices to advise them on points of law
3.	an employee of a court, legislature, board, corporation, etc, who keeps records and accounts, etc: a town clerk
4.	(Brit) Also called: clerk of the House a senior official of the House of Commons
5.	Also called: clerk in holy orders a cleric
6.	(US), (Canadian) short for salesclerk
7.	(US), (Canadian) Also called: desk clerk a hotel receptionist
8.	archaic a scholar

—vb
9.	(intr) to serve as a clerk

[Old English clerc, from Church Latin clēricus, from Greek klērikos cleric, relating to the heritage (alluding to the Biblical Levites, whose inheritance was the Lord), from klēros heritage]

'clerkdom

—n

'clerkish

—*adj*

'clerkship

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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