verger

[ vur-jer ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Chiefly British. a church official who serves as sacristan, caretaker, usher, and general attendant.
British. an official who carries the verge or other symbol of office before a bishop, dean, or other dignitary.

verger

/ ˈvɜːdʒə /

a church official who acts as caretaker and attendant, looking after the interior of a church and often the vestments and church furnishings
an official who carries the verge or rod of office before a bishop, dean, or other dignitary in ceremonies and processions

Origin of verger¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; verge ¹, -er ¹

Origin of verger¹

C15: from Old French, from verge, from Latin virga rod, twig

Rob Verger on one of the ugliest periods of South American history.

Robert Verger talks to disappointed Muggles about missing the finale.

Rob Verger asks foreign policy experts if no-fly zones work.

Rob Verger is a former writing instructor at Columbia University, and his work has also appeared in The Boston Globe.

Our verger and odd man about the church at Y—— (we took him over from our predecessor) could not read.

Not to the verger himself had her manner been more cool and detached, but Dane showed no sign of dissatisfaction.

Presently the verger came out of the vestry-room, followed by two gentlemen.

Something in the scornful accent and the deep voice aroused the suspicions of the verger, though the words were spoken in English.

The Owl took her, instead, to Westminster Abbey, and offered explanations after the manner of a verger.

April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Browse