Forms: 3–6 acolyt, 4 acolite, 6 acoluth(e, 6–9 acolyth(e, 8–9 acolyte. [ad. med.L. acolitus, acolithus, acolythus, corrupt forms of acolūthus a. Gr. ἀκόλουθος following, attending upon, subst. an attendant. The normal form is acoluth, as written by some of the 16th-c. scholars. Occ. aphetized to COLET, and expanded to ACOLYTHIST, ACOLOUTHITE.]
1. Eccl. An inferior officer in the church who attended the priests and deacons, and performed subordinate duties, as lighting and bearing candles, etc.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Past. Ep., in Anc. Laws, II. 378. Acolitus is se þe leoht berð æet Godes þenungum.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 45. The ferthe [degree in orders] acolyt hys to segge y-wys Tapres to bere wel worthe.
1382. Wyclif, Coloss., Prol. Therfore the apostle, thennis boundyn, writith to hem fro Effecie bi Tyte, a dekene, and Honesym, acolite.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 74. He that schuld be mad a Bischop schuld first be a benet … and then a colet; and then subdiacone, diacone, and prest.
1555. Fardle of Facions, II. xii. 267. The Acholite, whiche we calle Benet or Cholet, occupieth the roume of Candle-bearer.
1561. T. N[orton], Calvin’s Inst. (1634), IV. 155. They play ye Philosophers about ye name of Acoluth, calling him a Ceroferar, a taper bearer with a worde … wheras Acoluthos in Greke simply signifieth a folower.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 109. Gif ony man deseruis to be ane Bishope lat him first be ostiar, secundlie lecteur, nixt ane Exorcist, efter ane Acolyt.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., VII. xx. Wks. III. 347. The bishops attendants, his followers they were; in regard of which service the name of Acolythes seemeth plainly to have been given.
1637. Gillespie, Eng. Popish Cerem., III. viii. 161. Exorcists, Monkes, Eremits, Acoluths, and all the whole rabble of Popish orders.
1649. Selden, Laws of Eng., I. x. (1739), 18. Acolites, which waited with the Taper ready lighted.
1824. Southey, Bk. of the Ch., I. 353. The candlestick, taper and urceole were taken from him as acolyte.
1849. W. Fitzgerald, trans. Whitaker’s Disput., 505. The apostolic canons … name only five orders,—the bishop, priest, deacon, reader, and chanter, omitting the exorcist, porter, and acolyth.
1855. trans. Labarte’s Arts Mid. Ages & Renaiss., i. 15. Two acolythes carried the candlesticks.
1873. W. H. Dixon, Two Queens, I. VI. x. 369. At every porch a priest came out with acolyte and choir.
2. In other senses: a. An attendant or junior assistant in any ceremony or operation; a novice.
1829. Scott, Demonol., vii. 213. Nor are such acolytes found to evade justice with less dexterity than the more advanced rogues. Ibid. (1831), Kenilw., xxxii. (1853), 296. To awaken the bounty of the acolytes of chivalry.
1865. Dickens, Our Mut. Fr., i. 137. It was the function of the acolyte to dart at sleeping infants.
b. An attendant insect or other animal.
1876. Beneden, An. Paras., 4. Species at the mercy of others, and dependent on acolytes, which are in every respect inferior to themselves.
c. An attendant star.
1876. Chambers, Astron., 910. Acolyte … sometimes used to designate the smaller of two stars placed in close contiguity.
