Reverse Dictionary: CHURCH

ADJECTIVES
► CHURCH-OUTED excommunicated from the church → 1906
► ECCLESIAL pert. to the church → 1649 obs.
► ECCLESIASTIC pert. to the church → 1483
► ECCLESIASTICAL pert. to the church → 1538
► ECCLESIOLOGIC pert. to the church or to church buildings and decoration → 1882
► ECCLESIOLOGICAL pert. to the church or to church buildings and decoration → 1847

NOUNS
► ALLEY the aisle of a church → 1713 Eng. dial.
► AMEN BENCH ► AMEN CORNER the front seats in a church, on either side of the pulpit → 1890s African-American sl.
► AMEN PEW a bench or seat in the ‘amen corner’ of a church → 1877 Amer. dial.
► AMEN ROW ► AMEN SEATS seats in a church, esp. near the front → 1965 Amer. dial.
► AMEN THEATRE ROYAL a church → L19 sl.
► ANXIOUS BENCH at revival meetings or in church, a seat in front for people concerned about their spiritual well-being → 1832 Amer. dial.
► AUTEM a church → 16C Eng. sl.
► AUTEM SNEAK the robbery of churches or chapels → E19 sl.
► AWOMEN CORNER a humorous creation to match the ‘amen corner’ in the church; men and women, except courting couples, sat on opposite sides of the church → c1960 Amer. dial.
► BACKSLIDERS’ BENCH seats toward the back of the church → 1954 Amer. dial.
► BALD-HEADED ROW a row of seats within a church, usually near the front → 1965 Amer. dial.
► BAPTISTERY ► BAPTISTRY the part of a church in which baptism is administered; in early times, it was a separate building contiguous to the church → 1460
► BELL-HOUSE a church tower, a belfry → 1652 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► BIG CHURCH, THE  no church at all → 1897 Amer. dial.
► BOTTOM-ROOM a seat for one in a church pew → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► BUZZARD RELIGION the ‘religion’ practiced by one who goes to church only for funerals → 1970 Amer. dial.
► CHICKEN-PERCH a church → L19 rhyming sl.
► CHURCHLET a small church → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► CHURCH-SOKEN an attending church → 1000 hist.
► CRYING PEWS the seats in the back of a church for children → 1967 Amer. dial.
► DOXOLOGY WORKS a church → 1871 Amer. jocular usage
► ECCLESIARCHY government by the church → 1878
► ECCLESIASTICALNESS ecclesiastical character → 1659 obs.
► ECCLESIASTICISM the spirit and temper, or the principles of action, which are distinctively ecclesiastical → 1862
► ECCLESIASTICS the science of church government; matters ecclesiastical → 1672 obs.
► ECCLESIASTRY ecclesiastical pomp or business → 1865
► ECCLESIOGRAPHY a descriptive treatise on the church → 1881
► ECCLESIOLATRY worship of the church; excessive reverence  for church forms and traditions → 1847
► ECCLESIOLOGY the science relating to the church or to churches; now usually, the science of church building and decoration; also, a treatise on churches → 1837
► ECCLESIOPHOBIA an abnormal fear or dislike of church → 1877
► GLORY HOLE a church → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► GOD-BOX a church or other place of worship → 1917 sl., derogatory
► GOD-HOPPERY a church → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► GOSPEL MILL a church → 1872 Amer. dial.
► GOSPEL SHOP a church → 1909 Amer. dial.
► INTERVAL the time between the hours of public worship → 1873 Sc.
► LAND a pew in a church → 1925 Sc.
► LEAN AND LURCH a church → 1992 UK rhyming sl.
► LEFT IN THE LURCH a church → L19 rhyming sl.
► LUTRIN a reading-desk or singing-desk in a church, esp. that from which the lessons are read; a lectern → 1837
► MEETING-HOUSE 1. a church building → 1632 Amer. dial.
2. an Irish Presbyterian church; a Non-conformist chapel → 1858 Ireland & Eng. dial.
► MERCY SEAT a bench, seat, or rail set aside for penitents at the front of a church or revival meeting → 1942 Amer. dial.
► MOANER’S BENCH a special pew reserved during a Black church revival for those who wish to be ‘saved’ → L19 African-American usage
► MOURNER’S ROW the front row in church → 1916 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► PARCLOSE ► PERCLOSE a partition, screen, or railing, serving to enclose or shut off a space in a building; a screen or railing in a church enclosing an altar, a tomb, etc., or separating a chapel, etc. from the main body of the church → c1400
► PAR-CLOSE a pew in a church → 1895 Eng. dial.
► PAROCHIAL a parish church → 1637
► PASS the passage between the pews in a church, an aisle → 1871 Sc.
► PATROLATRY the worship of the Church Fathers → 1991 (Bk.)
► PREACHING-SHOP a church; more generally, a chapel → c1840 colloq.
► RECITATION SEAT a seat in the front of a church for people concerned about their spiritual well-being → 1969 Amer. dial.
► REPENTANT SEAT a bench, seat, or rail set aside for penitents at the front of a church or revival meeting → 1983 Amer. dial.
► SALARY a sum of money pledged to a church; a tithe → 1970 Amer. dial.
► SANCTUARIUM a building set apart for the worship of God or one or more divinities; a Christian church, Jewish temple, and Mosaic tabernacle, a heathen temple or site of local worship → 1796
► SKY CONE a church steeple → 1969 Amer. dial.
► SKY PALACE a church → 1981 UK sl.
► SPRITUALITY the church or its jurisdiction; the spiritual or ecclesiastical realm → 1450 obs.
► STEEPLE HOUSE a church → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► TIN TABERNACLE a church with an iron or tin roof → L19 sl.
► TRAILERS’ ROW the front row in church; mourners’ row → 1921 Amer. dial.
► VERGERISM action, etc., characteristic of a verger → 1857

NOUNS – PERSON
► AARON a person resembling the Jewish high priest Aaron, esp. a high priest, a leader → 1565
► ACHOLITE an inferior church servant, which formerly waited on the priests and deacons, performing the offices of lighting the candles, carrying the bread and wine, and paying other servile attendance → c1000
► ACHOLITHITE ► ACOLOUTHITE a person who attends a priest and performs subordinate duties, as assisting at the altar, lighting and bearing candles, etc.→ 1599 obs.
► ACOLOTHIST an acolyte; a subordinate officer in the Romish church who trims the lamps, prepares the elements for the sacraments, etc.→ 1726 arch.
► ACOLUTHIST ► ACOLYTHIST an acolyte; an inferior officer in the church who attended the priests and deacons, and performed subordinate duties, as lighting and bearing candles, etc.→ 1592
► AUNT JANE a female member of a Black church → 1970 Amer. dial.
► AUNT MARY a Black woman who is a regular churchgoer and religious believer → M19 sl.
► BEDDAL ► BEDDEL ► BEDLAR ► BEDLER a minor church official, whose chief duty is to attend to the minister, but who may also officiate as gravedigger and church bellman → 1692 Sc.
► BEDERAL ► BEDRAL ► BEDREL an inferior church officer in Scotland, often combining those of clerk, beadle, sexton, gravedigger, bellringer → 1815 Sc.
► BELLY MEMBER a person who goes to church very seldom (only comes when there’s a church supper)→ 1967 Amer. dial.
► BENCH-JUMPER a person who constantly changes churches → 1920s Amer. dial.
► BETHEL ► BETHEREL ► BETHERAL a minor church official, whose chief duty is to attend to the minister, but who may also officiate as gravedigger and church bellman → 1692 Sc.
► BETHRAL a church officer in Scotland with duties akin to, but not identical with, those of the English beadle, often combining those of clerk, sexton, and bell-ringer → 1815
► BLACK-BONNET an elder of the church → 1786 Sc.
► BUTT WOMAN a female official responsible for the maintenance of a church and churchyard, and for acting as an attendant to parishioners; a female sexton → 1823 Eng. dial.
► BUZZARD CHRISTIAN a person who goes to church only for funerals, or only for dinners → 1942 Amer. dial.
► CHURCH-CHOPPER a dealer in ecclesiastical benefices → 1631 obs.
► CHURCH MOUSE a person who goes to church a lot → 1966 Amer. dial.
► CHURCH SLIDER a person who goes to church very seldom, or not at all → 1967 Amer. dial.
► EASTER CHRISTIAN a person who attends church only on major holidays such as Easter or Christmas → 1950 Amer. dial.
► EASTER LILY a person who attends church chiefly at Easter time → 1967 Amer. jocular usage
► EATING MEMBER a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all → 1967 Amer. dial.
► ECCLESIARCH a ruler of the church → 1781
► ECCLESIAST a person who performs public functions in church; a church administrator → c1386
► ECCLESIASTIC a clergyman; a person in orders; a ‘churchman’ as distinguished from a ‘layman’ → 1651
► ECCLESIASTICAL a clergyman; a person in orders; a ‘churchman’ as distinguished from a ‘layman’ → 1882-3
► ECCLESIOLATER a person who worships the church → 1847
► ECCLESIOLOGIST a student of ecclesiology → 1841
► FAIR-WEATHER CHRISTIAN a person who goes to church seldom if at all → 1968 Amer. dial.
► FAIR-WEATHER CHURCHGOER a person who goes to church seldom if at all → 1950 Amer. dial.
► FALL-AWAY a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all → 1968 Amer. dial.
► FALL-FROM-GRACE a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all → 1970 Amer. dial.
► FELL-AWAY a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all → 1968 Amer. dial.
► GENERAL in the Christian Church: the head of a religious order, esp. the Dominicans and Jesuits → 1560
► GRAVEYARD CHRISTIAN a churchgoer from dread of the hereafter → 1913 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► KALE-POT WHIG a person who does not go to church but stops at home on Sundays → 1902 Sc. (Bk.)
► LAMB a young member of a flock, esp. of the church → c1000
► MEMBER a devout church member → 1867 Amer. dial., African-American
► MYSTAGOGUE a person who looks after church relics and shows them → 1656 obs.
► OFFICERS OF THE 52NDs young men who attend church regularly every Sunday → L19 Irish
► ONCER a person who only goes to church once on Sunday → L19 sl.
► PROFESSOR a fervent church member → 1996 Amer. dial., obs. (Bk.)
► RING-TAIL DEVIL a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all → 1968 Amer. dial.
► SACRIST an official charged with the custody of the sacred vessels, relics, vestments, etc., of a religious house or a church → 1577-87
► SACRISTAN 1. the sexton of a parish church → c1375 obs.
2. an official charged with the custody of the sacred vessels, relics, vestments, etc., of a religious house or a church→ 1483
► SACRISTER a person who has the charge of the utensils of a church → c1535 Sc.
► SAXON the sexton of a church → 1877 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► SHIRTTAIL BAPTIST a person who goes to church very seldom or not at all → 1967 Amer. dial.
► TAKER-UP a person who ‘raises’ the psalm in church; a precentor → 1578 Sc. obs.
► TUTIVILLUS a person said to note down the gossip and idle chatter of churchgoers during the service → 1500
► TWICER a person who goes to both matins and evensong services at church → L19 sl.
► VERGER a person whose duty it is to take care of the interior of a church, and to act as attendant → 1707
► VERGERESS a female verger or caretaker of a church → 1889
► WAITER an acolyte, a person assisting a priest in a religious service or procession → 1563 obs.
► WANDERING STAR a churchgoer of a strongly evangelical cast who went from one preacher to another in search of spiritual edification → 1825 Sc. obs., derisory usage
► WARDEN the dean of a cathedral or collegiate church, or of a royal chapel → 1429 obs.

PHRASES
► THREE Bs as used by churchmen: Bright, Brief, and Brotherly → L19 sl.

VERBS
► BE GREEDY FOR GOSPEL to be eager to go to church → 1858 Ireland
► CHURCH-OUT to be expelled from or rejected by the church → 1606
► ECCLESIASTICIZE to render ecclesiastical → 1865
► TAKE WINE WITH THE PARSON to attend Holy Communion → c1850 UK prison sl.