# deacon

/ˈdikən/ (US) · /dˈiːkən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/deacon
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. church official

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. leading a hymn

verb · CEFR C2 · Dialect

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to ordain

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to officially make someone a deacon in the church.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. to pack dishonestly

verb · CEFR C2 · American English · Slang

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The deacon helped serve the food at the church dinner.
- As the local deacon, he visited sick parishioners and organized the annual charity drive.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.