CHAPLAIN


Meaning of CHAPLAIN in English

chap ‧ lain /ˈtʃæplən, ˈtʃæplɪn/ BrE AmE noun [countable]

[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: chapelain , from Medieval Latin cappellanus , from cappella ; ⇨ ↑ chapel ]

a priest or other religious minister responsible for the religious needs of a club, the army, a hospital etc:

the prison chaplain

• • •

THESAURUS

▪ priest someone who is specially trained to perform religious duties and ceremonies in the Christian church:

a Catholic priest

|

a Buddhist priest

|

Women priests are much more common these days.

|

The priest who married us was very friendly and helpful.

▪ bishop a priest of high rank in some branches of the Christian church, who is the head of all the churches and priests in a large area:

the Bishop of Oxford

|

a meeting of bishops

▪ vicar a priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a church in a particular area:

our local vicar

▪ preacher someone who gives the sermon (=a religious talk as part of a church service) in some Protestant churches:

a Methodist preacher

▪ minister the formal word for any priest in some branches of the Christian church:

In 1843, 450 ministers of the church broke away from the established church of Scotland.

▪ chaplain someone, especially a priest, who takes care of the religious needs of an organization such as a college, hospital, prison, or the military:

the prison chaplain

▪ pastor American English someone who is in charge of the prayers, ceremonies etc in some branches of the Protestant church:

a Baptist pastor

▪ rabbi the person who is in charge of the prayers, ceremonies etc in the Jewish religion:

Israel’s chief rabbis

▪ mullah a Muslim teacher of law and religion:

The people turned to their traditional leaders, the mullahs.

▪ holy man someone who is treated with great respect by people who belong to a religion:

A Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, was performing yoga on the banks of the River Ganges.

▪ the clergy the official leaders in organized religions, such as the priests, rabbis, and mullahs:

Around 30 members of the clergy gathered for the meeting.

▪ clergyman a male member of the clergy – used especially in the past:

His youngest son decided to become a clergyman.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.