klɑ:k n. & v. --n. 1 a
person employed in an
office, bank,
shop,
etc., to
keep records, accounts, etc. 2 a
secretary,
agent, or record-keeper of a
local council (town clerk),
court, etc. 3 a lay
officer of a
church (parish clerk),
college chapel, etc. 4 a
senior official in
Parliament. 5 US an
assistant in a shop or
hotel. 6
archaic a
clergyman. --v.intr.
work as a clerk. øclerk in
holy orders
formal a clergyman. clerk of
the course the judges' secretary etc. in
horse or
motor racing. clerk of the works (or of works) an
overseer of
building works etc. øøclerkdom n. clerkess n.
Sc. clerkish adj. clerkly adj. clerkship n. [OE
cleric, clerc, & OF clerc, f. eccl.L clericus CLERIC]