Main Entry:

chap·lain

Pronunciation:

\ˈcha-plən\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English chapelein, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin cappellanus, from cappella

Date:

14th century

1 : a clergyman in charge of a chapel 2 : a clergyman officially attached to a branch of the military, to an institution, or to a family or court 3 : a person chosen to conduct religious exercises (as at a meeting of a club or society) 4 : a clergyman appointed to assist a bishop (as at a liturgical function)

— chap·lain·cy \-sē\ noun