I. clerk 1 S3 /klɑːk $ klɜːrk/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1000-1100 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: clerc 'man in a religious order, scholar, man who keeps records' , from Late Latin clericus , from Late Greek klerikos , from Greek kleros 'what you receive in life' ; because the Bible says that priests will receive things only from God ]
1 . someone who keeps records or accounts in an office:
a clerk in a commercial firm
2 . American English someone whose job is to help people in a shop:
the clerk in the shoe store
3 . American English someone whose job is to help people when they arrive at and leave a hotel:
Leave the keys with the desk clerk.
4 . an official in charge of the records of a court, town council etc
5 . old use a priest in the Church of England
II. clerk 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive] especially American English informal
to work as a clerk