# priest

/ˈpɹist/ (US) · /pɹˈiːst/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. religious official

noun · CEFR B1

a person who is trained to lead religious ceremonies and perform duties in a church or temple.

For teachers: a person ordained to perform religious rites and act as an intermediary between humans and a deity.

- The priest spoke to the family after the Sunday morning service.
- The parish priest administered the final rites to the elderly man while his family gathered around the bedside in silent prayer.

### 2. fishing tool

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a heavy, blunt tool used by fishers to quickly kill a fish after catching it.

For teachers: a weighted club or blunt instrument used by anglers to stun or kill a fish immediately upon landing it.

- He used a small wooden priest to kill the trout quickly and humanely.
- The experienced angler kept a brass-headed priest in his tackle box to ensure any fish kept for the table were dispatched instantly.

### 3. to ordain

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal

to officially make someone a priest in a religious ceremony.

For teachers: to admit a candidate to the orders of the priesthood through a formal ceremony of ordination.

- The bishop traveled to the cathedral to priest three new candidates.
- After years of theological study and pastoral training, the candidate was finally priested during a solemn ceremony at the diocesan cathedral.

## Examples

- The fisherman used a priest to kill the trout quickly.
- After landing the large salmon, he reached for his wooden priest to dispatch the fish immediately.
- Experienced anglers often carry a brass-weighted priest to ensure that any fish intended for the table is killed instantly and humanely upon being brought aboard.

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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.