vicar
/ˈvɪkɚ/ noun
Forms vicars vic.
- noun In the Church of England, the priest of a parish, receiving a salary or stipend but not tithes.
- noun In the Roman Catholic and some other churches, a cleric acting as local representative of a higher ranking member of the clergy.
- noun A person acting on behalf of, or representing, another person.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English vicar, viker, vikyr, vicaire, vicare, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman vikare, vicare, vikaire, vikere and Old French vicaire (“deputy, second in command”), from Latin vicārius (“vicarious, substitute”). Doublet of vicarious. Displaced native Old English ġespelia.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One deputed or authorized to perform the functions of another; a substitute in office; a deputy. [R.]
- noun The incumbent of an appropriated benefice.
Etymology [OE. vicar, viker, vicair, F. vicaire, fr. L. vicarius. See Vicarious.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “vicar”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details