name
Meaning 1
A surname originating as an occupation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
deacon
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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dē'k(ə)n
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/ˈdiːkən/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːkən
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CMU ARPABET: D IY1 K AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
A male given name from English.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A designated minister of charity in the early Church (see Acts 6:1-6).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: early Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
A clergyman ranked directly below a priest, with duties of helping the priests and carrying out parish work.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Qualifier: Eastern Orthodoxy; Oriental Orthodoxy; Church of the East; Eastern Orthodoxy; Oriental Orthodoxy; Church of the East
Topics: Catholicism, Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
An ordained clergyperson usually serving a year prior to being ordained presbyter, though in some cases they remain a permanent deacon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Qualifier: Anglicanism
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
A lay leader of a congregation who assists the pastor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Qualifier: Evangelicalism
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
A separate office from that of minister, neither leading to the other; instead there is a permanent deaconate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Qualifier: Methodism
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
A junior lodge officer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Topics: Christianity, Freemasonry, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
The lowest office in the Aaronic priesthood, generally held by 12 or 13 year old boys or recent converts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Mormonism, broadly
Topics: Christianity
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A male calf of a dairy breed, so called because they are usually deaconed (see below).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Qualifier: animal husbandry
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
The chairman of an incorporated company.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Scotland
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 12
To ordain to the diaconate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: ecclesiastical, lifestyle, religion
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
For a choir leader to lead a hymn by speaking one or two lines at a time, which are then sung by the choir.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: Christianity, entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 14
To kill a calf shortly after birth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
Qualifier: animal husbandry
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 15
To place fresh fruit at the top of a barrel or other container, with spoiled or imperfect fruit hidden beneath.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 16
To make sly alterations to the boundaries of (land); to adulterate or doctor (an article to be sold), etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 17
a cleric ranking just below a priest in Christian churches; one of the Holy Orders
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: clergyman, reverend, man of the cloth, Holy Order, Order
noun
Meaning 18
a Protestant layman who assists the minister
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Protestant deacon
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: church officer
Narrower terms: deaconess
History
Etymology
* English occupational surname for someone working in the household of a deacon. * Also as an English surname, variant of Dicken. * As an Irish surname, from Ó Deocáin, "descendant of Deocán."
Inherited from Middle English deken, dekne, from Old English diacon, from Ecclesiastical Latin diāconus, from Ancient Greek διᾱ́κονος (diā́konos, “servant, minister”).
Across languages
Translations
117 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: diaken — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Old Armenian: սարկաւագ (sarkawag) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Belarusian: дыя́кан (dyjákan) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Bulgarian: дя́кон (djákon) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Catalan: diaca — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Cherokee: ᎠᏯᏙᎯᎯ (ayadohihi) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Chinese Mandarin: 執事牧師 /执事牧师 (zhíshì mùshī) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Chinese Mandarin: 執事 /执事 (zhíshì) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Danish: diakon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Dutch: diaken — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Esperanto: diakono — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Finnish: diakoni — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- French: diacre — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- German: Diakon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Gothic: 𐌳𐌹𐌰𐌺𐌰𐌿𐌽𐌿𐍃 (diakaunus) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Greek: διάκονος (diákonos) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Ancient Greek: διάκονος (diákonos) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Hindi: सेवक (sevak) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Hungarian: diakónus — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Indonesian: diakon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Indonesian: diaken — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Italian: diacono — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Japanese: 執事 (shitsuji) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Korean: 부제 (buje) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Korean: 보제 (boje) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Latin: diāconus — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Macedonian: ѓа́кон (ǵákon) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Maltese: djaknu — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Maltese: djakunu — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Māori: rīkona — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Norman: diacre — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Norwegian Bokmål: diakon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Norwegian Nynorsk: diakon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Polish: diakon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Portuguese: diácono — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Romanian: diacon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Russian: дья́кон (dʹjákon) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Russian: диа́кон (diákon) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Sicilian: jàcunu — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Spanish: diácono — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Swedish: diakon — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Turkish: diyakoz — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Ukrainian: дия́кон (dyjákon) — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Vietnamese: phó tế — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Vietnamese: chấp sự — designated minister of charity in the early Church
- Arabic: شَمَّاس (šammās) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Aramaic: ܫܡܫܐ (šammāšā) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Armenian: սարկավագ (sarkavag) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Old Armenian: սարկաւագ (sarkawag) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Bulgarian: дя́кон (djákon) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Catalan: diaca — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Chinese Mandarin: 執事 /执事 (zhíshì) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Chinese Mandarin: 助祭 (zhùjì) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Chinese Mandarin: 輔祭 /辅祭 (fǔjì) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Czech: jáhen — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Czech: diákon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Danish: diakon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Dutch: diaken — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Esperanto: diakono — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Finnish: diakoni — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- French: diacre — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- German: Diakon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Hindi: उपयाजक (upyājak) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Indonesian: diakon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Indonesian: diaken — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Irish: deagánach — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Italian: diacono — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Japanese: 輔祭 (hosai) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Japanese: 助祭 (josai) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Japanese: 執事 (shitsuji) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Korean: 부제 (buje) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Korean: 보제 (boje) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Latin: diāconus — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Macedonian: ѓа́кон (ǵákon) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Maltese: djaknu — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Maltese: djakunu — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Māori: rīkona — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Norman: diacre — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Norwegian Bokmål: diakon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Norwegian Nynorsk: diakon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Persian: شماس (šammâs) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Portuguese: diácono — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Romanian: diacon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Russian: дья́кон (dʹjákon) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Russian: диа́кон (diákon) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Slovak: diakon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Old Slovak: jáhen — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Spanish: diácono — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Swahili: shemasi — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Swahili: dikoni — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Swedish: diakon — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Tagalog: diyakono — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Thai: สังฆานุกร (sǎng-kaa-nú-gɔɔn) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Ukrainian: дяк (djak) — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Vietnamese: phó tế — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Vietnamese: chấp sự — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Vietnamese: trợ tế — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Vietnamese: thầy sáu — clergyman ranked directly below a priest
- Catalan: diaca — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Chinese Cantonese: 執事 /执事 (zap1 si6) — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Chinese Mandarin: 執事 /执事 (zhíshì) — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Dutch: diaken — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Finnish: diakoni — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- French: diacre — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- French: diaconesse — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- German: Diakon — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- German: Diakonin — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Icelandic: djákni — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Indonesian: diaken — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Italian: diacono — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Japanese: 執事 (shitsuji) — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Korean: 집사 (jipsa) — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Māori: rīkona — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Norman: diacre — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Plautdietsch: Eltesta — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Portuguese: diácono — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
- Romanian: diacon — lay leader of a Protestant congregation
Real reading context