n. & v.
n. 1 a person employed in an office, bank, shop, etc., to keep records, accounts, etc. 2 a secretary, agent, or record-keeper of a local council (town clerk), court, etc. 3 a lay officer of a church (parish clerk), college chapel, etc. 4 a senior official in Parliament. 5 US an assistant in a shop or hotel. 6 archaic a clergyman.
v.intr. work as a clerk. clerk in holy orders formal a clergyman. clerk of the course the judges' secretary etc. in horse or motor racing. clerk of the works (or of works) an overseer of building works etc. clerkdom n. clerkess n. Sc. clerkish adj. clerkly adj. clerkship n.
[ OE cleric, clerc, & OF clerc, f. eccl.L clericus CLERIC ]