churchman
(ˈtʃɜːtʃmən)
[Cf. OHG. kirichman, kirman, Ger. kirchen-, kirchmann.]
1. A man of the church; ‘an ecclesiastic; a clergyman’ (J.).
| c 1340 Cursor M. 25019 (Fairf.) Noynting..noȝt wiþ þat oyle at kirk men hase bot wiþ þe hali gastis grace. 1548 Ld. Somerset Epist. Scots 244 Let neither your Gouernour, nor your Kirkmen..fede you further with faire wordes. 1553 Bale Gardiner's Obed. D vij b, The light dissolute maners of the Holy Kirckemen. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 104 Any Bishoppes, Abbottes, Priors, or any other Church men. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, ii. i. 25 What, Cardinall?..Tantæne animis Cœlestibus iræ, Church-men so hot? 1607–12 Bacon Ess., Marr. & Single Life (Arb.) 266 A single life is proper for Church Men; For Charity will hardlie water the grounde, where it must first fill a Poole. 1611 Cotgr., Linomple for women's kerchers and Church⁓mens surplesses. 1670 Dryden 1st Pt. Conq. Granada iv. ii, Pray'rs are the Alms of Church-men to the Poor: They send to Heav'n's, but drive us from their Door. 1728 Morgan Algiers I. v. 162 A Spanish Churchman. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 325 Churchmen transacted the most important diplomatic business. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. III. xiv. 478 When the churchmen of New York preached loyalty to the king as the Lord's anointed, ‘The people,’ retorted William Livingston, ‘are the Lord's anointed.’ |
† 2. One of the clergy or priesthood, of any religion. Obs.
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. (1682) 140 Their principal Church Governour is called Mufti..The other sort of Church-men are the Naipi..the Caddi, etc. 1665 G. Havers P. della Valle's Trav. E. India 444 Their Priests they call Darors..Those Church-men by their Law are commanded..to abide much in their Eggarees, or Temples. |
† 3. A churchwarden. Obs.
| 1523 Ch. Acc. St. Giles, Reading (ed. Nash) 19 Paid for the churchmennys labouris, xijd. 1591 Stanford Churchw. Acc. in Antiquary (May 1888) 211 Layde oute..for the twoo churchmen and one sydesmans Dinners, xxjd. 1598 Par. Reg. of Chesham Bois, James Gosham, Churchman; Robert Finche, Churche Man. |
4. A supporter of the church; a member of the church established or recognized in any country, or that claims to be exclusively ‘the Church’. spec., in England and its former colonies: A member of the Anglican church; in Scotland, a member of the established (Presbyterian) church.
| 1677 G. Hickes in Ellis Orig. Lett. ii. 317 IV. 44 The Earl of Murray is a good Churchman. [1697 C. Leslie Snake in Grass (ed. 2) 80 Colonel Fletcher (a Church of England Man) made Governour there instead of Mr. Penn.] 1711 Addison Spect. No. 112 ¶2 My Friend Sir Roger, being a good Church-man. 1715 De Foe Fam. Instruct. i. v. (1841) I. 107 Child, your aunt is a dissenter you know. But, madam, my uncle is a Churchman. 1755 Johnson, Churchman, an adherent to the church of England. 1822 W. Irving Braceb. Hall 54 He is moreover..a stanch churchman. He repeats the responses very loudly in church, and is emphatical in praying for the king and royal family. 1870 Arnot Life Jas. Hamilton v. 233 The advisers of the Church of Scotland..have till now thought, etc...The next generation of Churchmen will be wiser. |
b. See broad-, high-, low-churchman.
Hence churchmanlike a.
| 1852 Newland Lect. Tractar. 13 More Churchmanlike principles. 1881 Athenæum 27 Aug. 268/3 Cardinal Innocenzo Cibo undertook the churchmanlike office of poisoning Salviati. |