kəˈthälə̇kəs, -əˌkäs noun
also ca·thol·i·cus -ə̇kəs
( plural catholi·cos·es -ə̇kəsə̇z, -əˌkäsə̇z ; or catholi·coi -əˌkȯi ; also catholi·ci -əˌsī, -əˌkē)
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: Late Greek katholikos, from Greek katholikos, adjective — more at catholic
: any of the heads of certain independent Eastern churches (as the Armenian Church)
manuscripts written for the catholicos Nerses the Gracious
— used only in the non-Greek churches originally as an honorary title given certain exarchs or primates ranking below a patriarch but above a metropolitan