Before 18th c. usually as two words, or hyphened.
1. A man of the clerical order; an ordained minister of the Christian church; one in holy orders. (In England, unless otherwise qualified, commonly meaning a minister of the Church of England.)
1577. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619), 94. Not after the manner of a cleargie-man, but of the lay people.
1577. Vautrouillier, Luther on Ep. Gal., 260. The Papistes dreamed that this commaundement belongeth onely to their Cleargymen.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., III. vii. 95. Enter Richard aloft, betweene two Bishops. Maior. See where his Grace stands, tweene two Clergie men.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 218. The House of Commons [voted] that no Clergy man shall be in Commission of the Peace.
1706. Hearne, Rem. & Collect. (1885), I. 164. A Benefic’d Clergy Man in Surrey.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 72, ¶ 9. By a Clergyman, I mean one in holy Orders.
a. 1714. Burnet, Own Time (1766), I. 269. A profound statesman, but a very indifferent Clergy-man.
1840. Gladstone, Ch. Princ., 322. A well-known Presbyterian Clergyman, of Edinburgh.
1858. De Quincey, Wks., V. 190. A writer of great talent, Mr. Foster, the Baptist clergyman.
1872. E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, I. iv. 65. Deep-rooted reverence for the clergyman of the parish.
† b. transf. Applied to priests of non-Christian religions. (Cf. CLERGY 1 b.) Obs.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XXVIII. vi. 346. Rusticanus a Prelat or Clergie man [sacerdotalis].
1693. Staphorst trans. Rauwolf’s Trav., in Ray, Journ. Low C. (1738), II. 98. When their Clergymen [i.e., Dervishes] did understand it, they became very angry with us.
† 2. St. Nicholas’ clergymen (clerks): a cant phrase for ‘highwaymen’ (see CLERK sb. 6 c). Obs.
1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc., 1. A quarrel, by the high way side, between a brace, of Saint Nicholas Clargie men.
3. Clergyman’s sore throat: see quot.
1882. Syd. Soc. Lex., Clergyman’s sore throat, the name given to granular pharyngitis when occurring in clergymen, and others, who use the voice much.
1886. Fagge, Princ. & Pract. Med., I. 805.
Hence Clergymanical a. (humorous), Clergymanly a., characteristic of a clergyman.
1864. G. Dyer, Bella Donna, I. 196. One figure (arrayed in silken vestings and general clergymanical finery).
1865. Mrs. Oliphant, Chron. Carl., Perpet. Curate, 3. Two fresh, new, active, clergymanly intellects.
