deacon

n. a person in a church who helps the priest or handles business for the church.

n. an ordained minister or a lay person appointed to perform administrative or charitable duties within a Christian church.

“The deacon helped the priest prepare for the Sunday morning service.”

“In many Anglican traditions, a deacon is an ordained minister who may eventually be ordained to the priesthood after a period of service.”

v. to lead a song by saying a line of the lyrics first so the group can sing it back.

v. to lead a congregation in singing by reciting one or two lines of a hymn before they are sung.

“The leader would deacon the hymn so the congregation could follow along without books.”

“The practice of deaconing the psalms was common in rural parishes where printed hymnals were scarce and literacy rates were low.”

Dialect

v. to officially make someone a deacon in the church.

v. to ordain an individual to the diaconate.

“The bishop will deacon three new members of the church this weekend.”

“The candidate was deaconed in a solemn ceremony attended by representatives from across the diocese.”

Formal

v. to put the best fruit on top of a box to hide the bad fruit underneath.

v. to arrange goods, such as fruit, so that the best quality items are on top to deceive a buyer.

“The farmer was accused of deaconing his apple barrels to get a higher price.”

“The merchant was notorious for deaconing his produce, ensuring that only the most pristine specimens were visible to passing customers.”

American English · Slang