acolyte

n.

1. One who assists the celebrant in the performance of liturgical rites.
2. A devoted follower or attendant.

[Middle English acolit, from Old French, from Medieval Latin acolytus, from Greek akolouthos, attendant. See anacoluthon.]

New York Times columnist Bob Herbert excoriated the Republican Party for its Southern strategy, which "nurtures the bigotry of whites and is utterly contemptuous of blacks," then went on to include among the guilty President Bush, who, he writes:

"has been as devoted as an acolyte to the Southern strategy..."

Link: An Empty Apology

Posted July 19, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

n

Definition: attendant
Antonyms: leader, master

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IN BRIEF: Someone who assists with a Mass.

The acolyte read from the Gospels.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - medhjælper, følgesvend, væbner

Nederlands (Dutch)
misdienaar, assistent, beginner

Français (French)
n. - acolyte

Deutsch (German)
n. - Meßdiener, Ministrant, Gefährte, Helfer

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μτφ.) παρατρεχάμενος, τσιράκι, (θρησκ.) ακόλουθος, βοηθός ιερέα

Italiano (Italian)
accolito, seguace, chierichetto

Português (Portuguese)
n. - acólito (m), coroinha (m), assistente (m)

Русский (Russian)
приспешник (унизительное), псаломщик

Español (Spanish)
n. - monaguillo, acólito

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - medhjälpare, novis

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
侍僧, 助手

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 侍僧, 助手

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 미사 응답자, 조수

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 侍祭, 助手, 従者

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مساعد, معاون, مساعد للكاهن في قداس,‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עוזר (לכומר), עוזר, מתחיל‬

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