/ ˈbæptɪst; NAmE / noun
a member of a Christian Protestant Church that believes that baptism should take place when a person is old enough to understand what it means, and not as a baby
► Bap·tist adjective [ usually before noun ]:
a Baptist church
For more information see the Cultural Guide
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense of someone who baptizes someone else): from Old French baptiste , via ecclesiastical Latin from ecclesiastical Greek baptistēs , from baptizein immerse, baptize.