English Reference

Word

sexton

Phoneticssex·ton

US/ˈsɛkstən/

UK/sˈɛkstən/

Definition

n. a person who works for a church and takes care of the building and the land around it. They often look after the graveyard and ring the church bells.

n. an officer of a church responsible for the maintenance of the buildings and the surrounding graveyard. Responsibilities traditionally include bell-ringing and grave-digging.

Examples

“The sexton rang the bells every Sunday morning.”

“After the service, the sexton locked the heavy wooden doors and began tidying the churchyard.”

“In many small parishes, the sexton was a well-known figure who held the keys to the local history through his meticulous care of the cemetery records.”

Examples

simple

“The sexton rang the bells every Sunday morning.”

contextual

“After the service, the sexton locked the heavy wooden doors and began tidying the churchyard.”

complex

“In many small parishes, the sexton was a well-known figure who held the keys to the local history through his meticulous care of the cemetery records.”

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference